Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Acting Deputy President. I've had to toughen up in this place; it's a shame others don't do the same. The Australian Greens do not support any of the tax cuts because they feel every dollar is needed by the government for refugees, the Safe Schools program and subsidies for unreliable energy sources that will drive up electricity prices, and they want to dramatically lift the amount of money helping those in foreign countries. Labor wants to double the foreign aid budget, but the Greens want to almost triple the foreign aid budget to $12.28 billion. They want to give foreign aid, Australia's taxpayers' dollars, to overseas countries. They're not worried about hardworking Australians and giving them tax relief here. They want the money to go overseas—$12.28 billion.

Senator Hanson-Young read the bill and spoke on it, but unfortunately she did not understand it. It's quite funny when the senator makes comments about me. She said that I'm getting a tax cut. No, I'm not. I'm on the same wage as Senator Hanson-Young. The tax cuts are going to be up to $200,000. I'm a very fortunate Australian to be earning more than $200,000. I am paying tax of 45c in the dollar on that. I'm not getting tax relief. To make that comment is to mislead this parliament. I don't think she understands it. If she's really worried about pensioners and the battlers and everyone out there, then I suggest that she flies economy class, like I do, instead of sitting up the front of the plane, at more cost to taxpayers, or taking her child on a taxpayer funded whale-watch—or the overseas trips.

What can I say? That there are people in here expecting Australians not to get a tax cut makes the whole place a joke—yet they don't want to take tax cuts themselves. The whole thing is that hardworking Australians need a helping hand. They need to know that they are going to get something back—that something is being done for them. They are sick and tired of seeing everyone else around the world getting relief—we give foreign aid to everyone. People here are struggling to pay their bills. Because of the Greens in this room, renewable energy is sending up electricity prices and the cost of living. Australians cannot keep going at this rate.

My dilemma is this: yes, we have a black hole, but are we going to fill that black hole? My proposal is to go after the multinationals to pay their fair share of tax in this country and to look after Australians, the hardworking families that need some relief and need help in this country. Yes, suspend taxation and suspend increases in politicians' wages and those of bureaucrats. How can you say to hardworking Australians, 'You can't get tax relief—even the highest amount of up to $7,000 a year,' yet bureaucrats are receiving pay increases of up to $17,000 a year? That doesn't pass the pub test for the Australian people and it doesn't pass the pub test for me.

My job in the Senate is to represent the Australian people to the best of my ability. I will make my vote clear on the floor of the parliament. I will listen to all the amendments that are going to be put up and I will make a decision based on what I think is right for the Australian people.