Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I've already answered the question. But, of course, this is a contest—this is a battle of ideas. We stand for lower taxes. We stand, of course, for sustainable funding of all of the essential services Australians rely on, which also includes our appropriately well-targeted but generous welfare safety net. We are putting that on a sustainable fiscal foundation and trajectory for the future through our plan to build a stronger economy.

But what is the Labor Party doing? The Labor Party went to the last election promising $387 billion in higher taxes. There was the retiree tax, the $30 billion in higher taxes on super and the higher taxes on housing, investment and income—you name it!

Under this government, the Australian people can be confident that the pension is safe. Under the Labor Party, it wouldn't be, because under the Labor Party the economy would be weaker, the budget would be weaker and, of course, funding for the essential services would be on a weaker trajectory for the future, which is why, no doubt, the Australian people chose to re-elect us to form government at the last election.