Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Sterle—a fantastic question to finish off question time. For three years, the Albanese Labor government's focus has been on growing wages and addressing cost-of-living pressures. Last night's budget shows that real wages will continue to grow alongside more new jobs, low unemployment and low inflation, and our budget locks in a further tax cut for every Australian taxpayer.

In an extraordinary development, we've now seen Mr Dutton and the coalition oppose those tax cuts. After months of Mr Dutton promising cuts so he can pay for $600 billion worth of nuclear reactors, we've finally found the only thing that Mr Dutton and the coalition won't cut, and that is your taxes. So we have the supposed party of lower taxes now opposing a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer.

The mental gymnastics we've seen on display from Senator Hume and Mr Taylor have been something to behold. Even the coalition's preferred broadcaster, Sky News, today asked Senator Hume, 'So, you're going to vote against these tax cuts but still claim to be the party of lower taxes?' Try to square that circle. Senator Hume, I wasn't able to do that.

It does explain, though, all the coalition's leaking against their economic team, because I'd be pretty nervous about them too. But at least there are a few people on the coalition side who are willing to be honest, like the coalition MP who described Angus Taylor's Insiders performance as 'very strange'. And who could forget the No. 1 ticketholder of the Angus Taylor fan club, Senator Hughes, saying Mr Taylor needs to 'show some maturity and get across the detail'. No wonder Mr Taylor has a hit list of people he wants to target if he becomes the opposition leader after the election. That's right! We are now in a situation where those opposite are so busy thinking of things they can cut that they want to cut each other from being members of their party room. The only thing that Peter Dutton won't cut is your taxes, and Australians are about to have their say. (Time expired)