Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Well, we know that at least the Australian Labor Party is focused on cost-of-living issues for Australians, unlike the opposition and the Australian Greens. With this year's budget, Labor's fourth responsible budget, we are building Australia's future, and we will deliver further tax cuts to every Australian taxpayer. When the new tax cuts are combined with Labor's first round of tax cuts, the average tax cut is around $43 a week, or more than $2,200 a year, next year and around $50 a week—more than $2,500 a year—in the year after. On top of that, we're providing another $150 in energy bill relief, strengthening Medicare and investing in bulk-billing so more Australians can see a doctor.

You don't like that, do you, Senator Hume? We're putting more funding into public schools, we'll make more cuts to HECS debt to help Australian students, and we're building more houses and helping more Australians into homes of their own.

We know Mr Dutton and the coalition are recklessly opposing Labor's cost-of-living relief again. They have previously opposed it, and they are continuing to oppose it. It was quite remarkable earlier today to see what happened in the House of Representatives. Everyone will remember that the opposition tried to stand in the way last time Labor wanted to make sure all Australian got a tax cut. Well, they're at it again, telling hardworking Australians they don't deserve a tax cut. Those opposite voted against tax cuts this morning, and I anticipate they'll do so again tonight. Why have they done that? Because we know they have $600 billion to find to fund their risky nuclear scheme, so they can't support tax cuts. The reality is that Australians know the only way to pay for Mr Dutton's reckless nuclear scheme is deep cuts to essential services like Medicare. Mr Dutton and the Liberals cut everything but your taxes. (Time expired)