Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Relief So Working Australians Keep More Of Their Money) Bill 2019, also known as the 'we bribed you, we scared you, we won and now we're going to give our rich mates a tax cut' bill. This is actually the biggest scam going: most of $158 billion of taxpayer money is going to the top 20 per cent of income earners, and, at the same time, we are reducing penalty rates, increasing the amount that people have to pay back sooner on their HECS debt and continuing to underfund the services that all Australians rely on.

We've got a massive problem with homelessness in this country. We've got women and children who are fleeing domestic violence being turned away from frontline services because the beds are full, but this government won't kick in enough money to build more beds. And yet somehow—somehow—they've found the money to give the top 20 per cent a massive tax cut. They claim this is for economic stimulus. Well, firstly, it's not for five years and, secondly, we know that the rich aren't going to spend the money. They don't need it; they've already got enough. If you want economic stimulus and you actually want to help people then let's give a low-income tax offset to people who don't have enough money in their bank account to meet their basic needs. Let's increase Newstart. It hasn't happened for 25 years and it is well below the poverty line. If you really want to help people ease their daily costs of living, why not provide free child care? We know it's great for the education of young ones. We know it frees up parents to return to the workforce. We know that's a job-creating measure and an investment in the nous and the brains of our whole country. Why not invest in free child care? Why not actually fix the housing crisis? There are 12½ thousand Queenslanders, including children, who don't have a roof over their heads, and all you're offering is a minuscule tax cut. What's that going to do when they still don't have a home?

I'm disappointed to see that many of the crossbench are now supporting this, and I'm expecting that Labor will roll over, like they always do, and support this, despite some of the fairly mediocre, half-decent speeches they have just given. What an absolute crock! As I said, this is the biggest scam going. You guys just scared the electorate about the ghost of Bill Shorten and a made-up crack about death taxes, and now you're using $158 billion of taxpayer money to give massive tax cuts to your rich mates. I mean, well done! You've pulled it off. Credit to you, but Australia is going to suffer from this.

In Queensland, it's not the top 20 per cent that would get this tax cut; only 16 per cent of Queenslanders would benefit from this stage 3 tax cut on the never-never. In regional Queensland it's 1.6 per cent. So what an absolute crock! We have people right around my state, and this country, that are crying out for free child care, for affordable TAFE and free uni, for a roof over their heads and for clean energy projects that can keep power bills down and tackle climate change. What a crock that they're barely going to see any of this tax cut. People want investment in services. That's what will ease their daily cost-of-living pressures. Instead, you're delivering tax cuts to your rich mates. Well, good on you for managing to pull this off.

I think it's an absolutely revolting outcome for this country, and I'm very saddened that the Greens, and possibly One Nation, are the only folk who are actually going to be opposing this when we get to the vote. We'll be moving an amendment to more than double that low-income tax offset, because we think that those folk do need money in their pockets—and they will spend it, because they cannot actually afford their basic living expenses at the moment. You want economic stimulus? That's the way to do it. Rather than increasing the tax brackets, which will flow through to everyone and see rich people get even more perks that they do not need and that are not affordable when the economy is looking as precarious as it is, let's use those measures to actually help people to provide that stimulus, to create jobs, and, hey, why not actually help people in their daily lives?

If you want to fix the housing problem, don't just give the state Tasmanian Liberals a free pass on their own budget balls-up; actually invest in affordable housing. Now, you're going to cry poor because you've just wasted $158 billion, of which $95 billion goes to the top 20 per cent. What a crock! I look forward to your: 'Oh, we can't afford to fix homelessness. Oh, we can't afford to make sure women and children can get a bed when they're fleeing violence. We'd rather see them go back to possible death.' We've had 26 women killed already this year, and we know that services have to turn people away because they don't get enough funding. The Commonwealth has a role to play in that. That funding flows from the Commonwealth to the states and down to those frontline services. Except it's not flowing, because you guys are spending it on your rich mates instead. Well, shame on you!

We'll be voting against this, and we'll be moving amendments to increase the low-income tax offset. I call on the Labor Party: please, reconsider absolute your spinelessness in becoming 'Liberal lite' and waving this through the chamber. We may not have the numbers to stop this, but we should bloody well try. That's what we're here for. We're actually meant to be representing people, protecting their interests. You guys are meant to be an opposition. We're happy to do it if you're not going to, and we intend to do that today, but we hope to have some company.