Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Brandis, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Can the minister confirm that from next year two million women will face a tax hike of up to $500 as a result of the Abbott-Turnbull government's decision to axe the low income super contribution?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, what I can tell you is that were there to be a Labor government the Australian people would face increased taxes in five new areas.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Do you have a point of order, Senator Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order on direct relevance.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Just a moment, Senator Wong. Order on my left! I can't hear your leader, who is on her feet.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order on direct relevance. The minister did not even start trying to address this question. He went straight to Labor policy. The question was about the Turnbull government's decision to axe the low-income super contribution.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Wong. I will remind the minister of the question. Minister, you have one minute and 45 seconds in which to answer.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am merely commenting on the paradox of being asked a question about tax by a Labor Party senator who goes into this year's election, in 2016, only promising tax increases. All you have done in your year of ideas is come up with five ideas, and every one of them was for a new tax. Senator McAllister, you asked me specifically—and I just thought I would provide you with a little bit of context—about the low-income super contributions.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron! Order on my left! Senator Wong! Minister, you have the call.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I was hoping I might be heard in silence. The low-income super contribution was to be funded from the proceeds of the mining tax. Consistently with its election commitment, the government repealed the mining tax and is abolishing or rephasing the policies that were funded by it. Something that I am afraid that Labor politicians never seem able to grasp is that everything has to be funded from somewhere. This particular measure was funded by another tax, a tax that was a regressive tax that raised very little revenue, so we were elected specifically on a promise to abolish it.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Attorney-General! Order on my right! Just a moment, Senator Carr. On my right! Senator Bushby!

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order on direct relevance.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, you have a colleague on his feet. Senator Carr, do you have a point of order?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was directly aimed at the issue of the low-income superannuation contribution. Why has the minister not even referred to it?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, Senator Carr. The minister directly answered—

Government senators interjecting—

Order on my right! The minister did answer the question. He did confirm what the questioner asked. Minister, you have the call.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sorry, Mr President, but I do not think I can be blamed if Senator Carr does not listen to the answer. I referred specifically to the low-income super contribution and I pointed out—if you care to listen, Senator Carr—that it was to be funded from the mining tax. The mining tax was repealed in conformity with an election promise. (Time expired)

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. Do further changes to the superannuation system remain on the table under the Turnbull government?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whatever policies or proposals the government has will be announced, in the ordinary course of events, as part of the budget on 10 May.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a further supplementary question. Will the minister rule out making any changes to superannuation that will leave average income earners worse off in retirement?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Average income earners will always be better off under coalition governments. They will always be better off under coalition governments.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Do you have a point of order, Senator Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will have to correct the record.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, that is a debating point, Senator Wong.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked whether average workers would be worse off under a coalition government. I can assure you, as has historically been the experience, average income earners are always better off after periods of coalition government. That was the case throughout the period of the last coalition government, the Howard government, in which wages increased by a much greater rate than they increased during the time of the previous or the subsequent Labor government, and it will be the experience of this period of coalition government as well.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you have a point of order, Senator McAllister?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I go to relevance. The question asked specifically about changes to superannuation that may leave average income earners worse off in retirement, and I would like the minister to answer that question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the minister was very close to being directly relevant, but I will invite the minister to conclude his answer. He has 19 seconds.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me say again that average workers will always be better off as a result of the policies of coalition governments. That was the case over the period of the Howard government and it will be the case under this period of coalition government.