Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thought it was really important because the Greens did actually look at the ATO data and I asked if you could confirm some of our conclusions last night, but you would not. In fact, in some cases you did not want to answer my questions. It is very important, especially given that Senator Hanson, who is in the chamber right now, represents a number of voters in rural and regional areas of Australia—and my understanding is that you probably will be voting for these tax cuts today, Senator Hanson, through you, Madam Chair. Eighty per cent of Australians, people on incomes less than $80,000, are going to miss out on this tax cut. I substantiated yesterday that that is not middle-income Australia; that is high-income Australia, on any sensible measure. It concerns me that a number of occupations will miss out on these tax cuts—the ones who need a tax cut probably more than a high-income earner like me, who does not need the extra $6 a week: clerks, registered nurses, sales assistants, office managers, storepeople, miscellaneous labourers, age and disability carers, check-out operators and office cashiers, receptionists, childcare workers, waiters, retail managers, commercial cleaners, contact staff, customer service managers, chefs, purchasing and supply logistics clerks, kitchen hands et cetera. I have the numbers here from the ATO. These are the top 20 occupations in which less than 20 per cent of wage-earners will receive tax relief. Senator Hanson represents a lot of voters in the bush and you cannot tell us here today, Minister, whether Treasury has considered whether this tax cut is going to be of benefit to rural and regional Australia, which needs a leg-up probably more than anywhere else.