John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. Minister, this budget has been widely considered to have the strongest consequences for those who can least afford it, whether it be single income families, pensioners or low to middle income workers. A $200 deficit levy for those on $190,000 would be considered as a joke by pensioners, who will now be paying $7 to visit their GP. Can the minister outline the government's justification for applying further restrictions to eligibility for family tax benefit B when this was the only form of horizontal tax equity which compensated for the expense of dependent children for families on low and middle incomes?