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

I'll tell you what the Turnbull government is concerned about, and that is ensuring that Australians today and into the future have the best possible opportunity to get ahead. That is why we work so hard to turn the weakening economy you left behind, and the rising unemployment you left behind, into stronger growth and more jobs, because stronger growth and more jobs are central to ensuring that Australians today and into the future have the best possible opportunity to get ahead. And do you know what? As part of that effort we need to ensure that the businesses around Australia, who employ nine out of 10 working Australians, have the best possible opportunity to be successful into the future.

Do you know what Bill Shorten will do to business? Bill Shorten will go after business with higher taxes. Bill Shorten will be pursuing an anti-business, anti-opportunity, politics-of-envy, class warfare agenda, which will hurt the economy, which will cost jobs. More than $200 billion in higher taxes under Mr Shorten will lead to less investment, lower growth, fewer jobs and higher unemployment—and, on the back of higher unemployment, lower wages.