Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

With regard to Labor's amendment, we ask that we vote on parts (a) and (b) separately. We want to ensure that this Senate is given the opportunity to address the address-in-reply, but we do have concerns that these tax measures are going to be rushed through this parliament on Thursday. We have concerns about this because this legislation hasn't even been before a thorough inquiry process. This is one of the most significant changes to the tax system that has ever been put before this chamber, and we think that it is absolutely critical that this go through a thorough and exhaustive inquiry process. There is absolutely no rush for this to be rammed through this parliament on Thursday night.

We would like to see an opportunity for those people who are currently considering this legislation—indeed, members of the crossbench and the Labor Party—to understand the implications of passing a tax cut that would redirect billions of dollars, $30 billion, to some of the highest income earners in the country. This is money that could be spent on raising Newstart; money that could be spent on putting a roof over people's heads and food on the table; money that could be invested in providing everybody with Medicare funded dental care; money that could be invested in public schools and hospitals; and money that could be invested in ensuring that no-one in Australia is homeless—that we build half a million affordable community homes.

We should be looking at what the huge cost associated with this budget measure is, what the alternatives are and what it will do in terms of economic inequality. We've seen some very rigorous analysis that indicates that it will turbocharge economic inequality in this country. This house should be afforded the opportunity to review this legislation and to ensure that we do our job in understanding the implications of one of the most significant taxation measures ever put before this chamber. It is absolutely incumbent on us that we be afforded that opportunity.

We have the same concern that the Labor Party has: that this motion as it is currently structured gives the government an opportunity to ram through other bills on Thursday if it so chooses, and we know what some of those bills may be, as we heard earlier today from the Governor-General. We don't think that there is any need to rush into massive tax cuts that turbocharge inequality and that rip revenue out of our budget that should be invested in the foundations of a decent society.