Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I'll take the interjection. He says, 'And Penny Wong'. I'm voting against it, mate. Why don't you? That's a great interjection! What an outstanding interjection from Senator Macdonald!

I make this point: what we have seen over these last 24 hours is a government desperate on a political strategy, a government desperate to try and hold low- and middle-income earners' tax cuts, which they deserve, hostage to high-income tax cuts. Senator Patrick, more fool you that you've copped it. You have come in here on the morning and said, 'Yes, I want stage 3 out,' and then voted for every single stage of a procedural straitjacket to ensure that amendment could not be insisted on and furthermore, could not even be debated. What sort of senator does that? At least have the courage of your convictions. Stand up and debate it. What you've done is ensure they don't even have to debate an amendment that you supported 24 hours ago. What sort of senator does that, Senator Patrick?

What is extraordinary about this is that all that we would have needed to ensure that the tax cut for low-income earners proceeded and the tax cuts in stage 3 that overwhelmingly benefited those above $200,000 were removed would have been the same tied vote that we had yesterday. If Senator Patrick and Senator Griff had simply had the courage of their convictions, if Senator Hanson had decided to deliver to Longman rather than Wentworth, that's all we would have needed to ensure that Mr Turnbull's political strategy of holding tax cuts for low- and middle-income Australians hostage to high-income earners could not have been delivered. But instead, in this Senate, the Centre Alliance and Senator Hanson have fallen over themselves to deliver to high-income Australia and to Malcolm Turnbull's political strategy. That is all they have done. I urge the Senate not to support the motion from Senator Cormann, who is now rising to his feet. (Time expired)