Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. Will the minister rule out tax increases or new taxes on Australians in the coming budget?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to talk about the Albanese government's plan to fix the budget and to deliver on our promises. We have made it clear, and we made it clear during the election campaign, that our focus would be on multinational tax reform. We outlined that in our plan for a better budget. We were clear about the revenue this would return. We were also clear about the savings that we would seek to put in place to fix the budget that you broke. That is clear in our—what would we call it?—'Better budget, better economy: Labor's plan for a better future.' This is the plan that got endorsed.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam President. On a point of order, I ask that the minister direct her comments through the chair.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was so much disorder then. I think the minister was, apart from one interjection. I remind senators once again that interjections are disorderly and that comments need to be directed to the chair. Please continue, Minister.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President, I was just getting started. We will not be lectured—when you lot were in government you were the highest taxing and highest spending government in history. And here you are trying to lecture us about it. We've been clear about what our plan is. Our focus is on multinational tax reform. You could also support our approach to reduce taxes on electric vehicles. We actually want to lower taxes.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, I have a point of order on relevance. Senator Cash's question was very clear, asking about tax increases or new taxes on Australians. It wasn't about multinationals; it was about taxes on Australians.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Birmingham. I would ask senators when they call points of order to please be brief. I'll call the minister. I do believe she is being relevant.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point I was making, and I have made, is that our focus will be on multinational tax reform. Our focus in the budget will be implementing the commitments we took that formed part of Labor's plan for a better future. We won't be lectured by those about taxes—

Opposition senators interjecting—

How about you support our proposal to lower taxes. How about that? We thought you liked lower taxes. Lower taxes on electric vehicles—how about that? How about you support that? We're trying to lower taxes. That's a priority and you guys won't have a bar of it. You want to keep them high.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I regret to have to raise this point of order again, but just a reminder to direct her comments through the chair, please.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Henderson. I will remind those particularly on my left that interjections are disorderly. There are a lot of interjections coming from the left. I remind all senators that those are disorderly. I'll remind the minister that her comments need to be directed to the chair.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course I will follow that ruling. We won't be lectured by those opposite about taxing when their record on taxing was as the highest taxing government. We are doing the responsible thing. We will be implementing the commitments we took to the election.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, a first supplementary?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister guaranteed to the Senate that there will be no changes to franking credits in the upcoming budget, as Labor promised at the last election?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This budget will be our opportunity to implement the commitments we took to the election. As I have been clear, we are implementing the policies that we took—remember those? We've got them. We've got the policies. The October budget is partly to implement our election commitments and the other part of the October budget—sorry, through you, President—is to deal with the waste and rorts that you guys buried in the budget as a payoff to colleagues when you were—

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order in relation to relevance: the question was incredibly specific. It referred to ruling out changes to franking credits. I would ask that you direct the minister to be relevant to the question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cash. It also included the word 'budget', but the—

Opposition senators interject ing—

I can't direct the minister to answer your question. I can direct the minister where she is not being relevant to be relevant. Please continue, Minister.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think I've answered the question. You're right, President, I was asked about what will be in the budget. It will be a combination of policies we took to the election. The first stage of the waste and rorts work that I've been doing cleaning up the mess—the billions of dollars in the budget that you buried for political convenience. That's what this budget will be about.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, a second supplementary?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister advise whether Australian families will receive the promised $275 energy bill relief in the upcoming budget?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You continue to surprise me, Senator Cash. Honestly—after 10 years, 22 failed energy policies, a 20 per cent increase in electricity prices on your watch that you buried before the election—that you would stand up and ask us about energy prices—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I have a senator on her feet seeking to make a point of order. It was so disorderly that Senator Cash had to sit down again. I would ask senators to listen quietly. Senator Cash.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order: relevance. The question was actually about the government, not the opposition, and whether or not Australian families will receive the promised $275. I would ask you to direct the minister to the question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cash, I will direct the minister to your question.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The audacity of it is just absolutely staggering, as though you are these passive players in the decade of energy failure—honestly!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong. Senator Cash. Minister, have you concluded your answer? You have five seconds.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.