Chris Ketter (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government, Senator Scullion. Research into the distribution of the benefit of the Turnbull government's Personal Income Tax Plan reveals that Hinkler, Wide Bay, Lyne and Cowper, all held by Nationals MPs, are amongst the 10 worst-off electorates. What advice has the minister sought about the inequitable distribution of the Turnbull government's income tax plan and its impact on regional development?

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One thing I can say: I know that the Nationals representatives in each of those electorates that you mentioned, Senator Ketter, know that their electorates are going to be far better off under a coalition government than they're ever going to be under those on the other side. Some of the questions that will be absolutely central to any decision about who will represent them at the next election will be: 'Who is the best at running the economy? Who provides the best growth for the economy? Who is best placed to ensure that we have jobs into the future, not only for myself but—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Scullion, please resume your seat. Senator Cameron, on a point of order?

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on relevance. The question goes to what advice the minister has sought about the inequitable distribution in National Party seats.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note that the minister has been speaking for 55 seconds, and he has a minute and five seconds remaining to answer.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my apologies. I should have simply rejected the premise of that question, which I do now. The most important thing is not only jobs for those people who are in those electorates right now but that more and more people are thinking about the future. They're thinking about the future of their children. They're wondering if their business will be a business of the future or a victim of those on the other side, who are economically illiterate. I know that everybody who lives in each and every one of those electorates will be saying, 'It is only the coalition that can provide support for businesses, support for partnerships and support for growth and jobs.' There is absolutely no doubt about that. I can tell you that, if you talk to the people in those electorates, they will tell you now—and you can do any polling you like, asking: 'Who do you trust with the economy? Who do you trust with the future of your kids?'—that it is not those on the other side they trust. They trust the coalition, and their trust is well founded.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I will call Senator Ketter when the chamber comes to order. Senator Ketter, a supplementary question.

Chris Ketter (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has the minister been lobbied by Mr Pitt, Mr O'Brien, Dr Gillespie or Mr Hartsuyker about the fact that their communities will receive a disproportionately low share of the benefit from the Turnbull government's Personal Income Tax Plan?

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All of those very fine members, in fact, lobby me all the time about a whole range of issues; I can tell you that. That's what makes them such good members: they're always ensuring that the government understands what the needs of their constituents are. They're always helping the government to understand. It's not only me; I know the whole frontbench here would have heard from those very, very good members. They are constantly saying, 'If we get the economy right, we can get everything else right.' If we don't have a strong economy, we can't make investments in social services, we can't make investments in education and we can't make investments in health. The people in those electorates well understand that, without a strong economy, we cannot make the essential investments for the future of those electorates and, in fact, for the future of our country. That is why they support the economy in the hands of the coalition. (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will call Senator Ketter when there's order. Senator Wong! Senator Cormann and Senator Wong! Order, Senator Wong!

Senator Cormann interjecting—

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senators Cormann and Wong! I did call Senators Cormann and Wong. Senator Ketter, a final supplementary question.

Chris Ketter (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that under Labor's bigger, better, fairer income tax cut 72 per cent, or 49,000 people, in Hinkler; 72 per cent, or 53,000 people, in Wide Bay; 72 per cent, or 52,000 people, in Lyne; and 73 per cent, or 60,000 people, in Cowper will be up to $928 better off, will the minister encourage the Prime Minister to adopt Labor's bigger, better and fairer income tax cut in the interests of regional Australia?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I'll call Senator Scullion to answer the question when there's order.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In all of those electorates and right across Australia, there's one thing that is so well known: you can't trust Labor! You can't trust what they say. They've come up with another spaghetti mix, a goanna's guts, of promises that they don't understand themselves. They're saying, 'Trust us; it's all going to be all right.' Every other time they have let down the Australian people. They have taken a perfectly good economy that's been left by the coalition, and they have broken it. They have broken it again and again. They have broken the economy, and they have broken their promises. The great thing is that, in all the electorates across Australia, they know that Labor can't be trusted generally. But one thing is absolutely for certain: they cannot be trusted with the economy and the fantastic future that the coalition can bring.