Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

As has been said on many occasions, the Rudd Labor government remain committed to keeping taxation as a share of gross domestic product below the level we inherited, on average—that is, 23.6 per cent of gross domestic product in 2007-08. That is the level the Liberal-National Party left us and that is the level we have committed to keep taxation below. Of course, we saw earlier this week an announcement by the opposition leader, Mr Abbott, to introduce a big new tax to fund his parental leave proposal. The Rudd Labor government have decided not to go down the road of a big new tax to support our parental leave proposal. We have adopted the recommendations of the Productivity Commission. The Productivity Commission made three key recommendations. It certainly did not recommend a big new tax. I can assure the Liberal-National Party of that. It recommended there be a payment of 18 weeks duration financed by the government on behalf of the broader community, not a big new tax, and that in most cases employers would make the payment. It is fully costed, fully funded and fiscally and economically responsible.

On the other hand, Mr Abbott swore black and blue eight years ago that there would be a paid parental leave scheme ‘over his dead body’. That was his commitment eight years ago. He has been swearing black and blue since he became Leader of the Opposition, at the end of last year, that there would be no new taxes and no increases in existing taxes. Barely a day has gone by when Mr Abbott has not said there would be no new taxes and no increases in existing taxes.