Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister Watt, representing the Minister for Early Childhood Education. We know that hardworking Australians are doing it tough and the cost of living is putting pressure on household budgets. We also know that women face many barriers in reaching economic equality and closing the gender pay gap, both fundamental to reaching a fairer, more prosperous and more resilient economy. How are Labor's tax cuts helping workers in female dominated industries like the early childhood education sector?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Payman, who, along with a number of other people on this side of the chamber, has devoted a lot of her life to supporting early childhood educators. Thank you for the work that you did in that space before coming to this chamber.

As we've made clear, the Albanese government's No. 1 priority is addressing inflation and cost-of-living pressures. We know that a lot of people are doing it tough through the global inflation crunch. The rising cost of living is putting increasing pressure on hardworking Australians right now.

It's particularly good that Senator McKenzie and her colleagues have finally decided to back in our plan to provide that cost-of-living relief. So thank you, Senator McKenzie, for agreeing to support our plan, because it has been crystal clear that every taxpayer needs and deserves a meaningful tax cut.

Labor's tax cuts are good for middle Australia, good for women, good for helping with cost-of-living pressures, good for labour supply and good for the economy. Labor's tax cuts ensure that every Australian taxpayer will get a tax cut and more Australians will get a bigger tax cut. Labor's tax cuts guarantee that every working woman will get a tax cut. Labor's tax cuts mean that on average women will get a tax cut of $1,649 each year.

Labor's tax cuts ensure that early childhood educators will be better off than under Scott Morrison's plan, because Labor's tax cuts mean that an early childhood educator earning $46,000 a year will receive an $829 tax cut, far more than they would have received under the coalition's stage 3 tax cuts, and Labor's tax cuts mean that an early childhood teacher earning $69,000 a year will receive a tax cut of $1,404, real cost-of-living relief for the very people that serve our community, educate our children and probably care for a lot of the children of the people who are in this chamber. They will finally be getting the cost-of-living relief that they need, and it took a Labor government to do so.

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

Senator Payman, a first supplementary?

Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister, for that response. Evidently Australian families will benefit from Labor's tax cuts. Average-income earners will now be getting more than double than under the previous government's plan. What else is the Australian government doing to provide cost-of-living relief for families?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks again, Senator Payman. As I say, Labor's tax cuts are important because we want to support the aspirations of all Australians. The Labor Party believe that all Australians have aspiration: low-income earners, middle-income earners and high-income earners. We don't see aspiration as just something that is the preserve of the wealthy. Middle Australia and Australians earning low incomes have aspiration as well. Labor want people to earn more, and we want people to keep more of what they earn. These broader and better targeted tax cuts are a key part of our economic plan, which of course includes delivering real cost-of-living relief to Australian families through our cheaper childcare reforms. Senator Payman, I don't know about you but, over the last 24 hours, I've seen what is the most humiliating backdown I have ever seen from the coalition in the time they've been in opposition, because, of course, now they say that they support Labor's tax cuts for middle Australia. But, when speculation first started about this, first out of the blocks as usual was Sussan Ley. Ms Ley was out there saying that they would fight this legislation in the parliament— (Time expired)

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

Senator Payman, a second supplementary?

Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that having the best possible teachers and educators can transform a child's life. Why it is important that every childhood worker gets a tax cut under Labor's plan?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Payman, I'm sure you'd agree that it's crystal clear that every early childhood worker deserves a tax cut, but only Labor stands up for these workers, putting more in their pockets during a cost-of-living crisis. As I say, we've seen all sorts of statements from the Liberals and the Nationals over the last couple of weeks. Here are just a few of them. Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen coalition members of parliament describe Labor's tax cut for all Australians as 'an egregious error', 'a betrayal', 'treachery', 'trickery', 'absolutely shameful', 'class warfare', 'a war on aspiration', 'a war on hardworking Australians', 'a lifetime tax on aspiration' and 'Marxist economics'. Yet, despite hating it that much, they're now going to vote for it. In fact, Mr Dutton couldn't allow the sittings to go for even one minute before he was doing a press conference yesterday in a humiliating backdown saying that he was going to back it. We know it's not the first time that the Liberals have voted for an egregious error; they did put Scott Morrison into The Lodge. We know it's not the first time they've voted for betrayal, treachery and trickery Just have a look at Senator McGrath over there in Nemesis the other night—and now Marxist economics, as well.