Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

It's interesting that the Labor Party would ask me this question, because today we had a captain's call from the Leader of the Opposition. He was so scared not even the Labor caucus would support his socialist antibusiness agenda that he wasn't even prepared to consult them on it. He was so worried that his socialist antibusiness, antigrowth, anti-opportunity agenda was so left wing that not even the Labor caucus would support him. So here we have the Labor leader again going to put higher taxes on business.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Bill Shorten has got a dilemma. Why is all of this happening? Bill Shorten is under pressure. He lost three seats and he's now trying to make up the losses. He lost three seats because his rolled gold guarantee wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Here he is now gambling to win back his losses, and he's gambling with Australian jobs by increasing taxes on business. Mr Shorten knows that higher taxes on business mean fewer jobs. Fewer jobs are bad for the people of Longman, are bad for the people of Braddon, are bad for the people of Australia. That is the truth of it. The people of Longman, the people of Braddon, the people of Australia cannot afford the bill.

Honourable senators interjecting—