Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I suppose the first response would be that it would be incorrect to look at only one program to suggest that that was all particularly low-income families were receiving. The senator would be aware that there is obviously the family payment system, the school kids bonus that the government has put in place as well as a supplement which she may or may not have referred to in her question.

In terms of the priority for low-income families, you can see from the policies of the government, particularly the increase in the tax-free threshold, which is a very substantial reform to the tax system, that it is primarily geared at low-income Australians. Unlike the coalition, we do not believe that tax reform is simply about taking away from people on low and middle incomes. We have prioritised in the tax reforms that we have put in place and in the superannuation reforms we have put in place low-income families such as the ones to whom the senator refers.