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 representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Minister, can you inform the Senate of how much extra in taxes Australians will pay over the next 10 years because your government broke its promise to the Australian people to implement the legislated stage 3 tax cuts?

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

Thank you, and I welcome the opportunity to talk about Labor's tax plan—the tax plan that the opposition is now supporting, the tax plan that the opposition is now accepting is the right thing to do, is the right policy to put in place to ensure that people are paying lower taxes and getting more money into their pockets sooner and a fairer share of those tax cuts than they would have got under the plan of Scott Morrison from five years ago.

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

Minister Gallagher, please resume you seat. Senator Cash.

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

President, the point of order is in relation to relevance. Unless we are playing word association games in the Senate, the question was very clear: how much extra will Australians pay over the next 10 years because you have broken your promise to the Australian people?

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

Thank you, Senator Cash. Your question does go to tax cuts, but I will remind the minister of the specifics of your question. Minister Gallagher.

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

I only had 36 seconds to lead into that answer—

I'm sure the good senator has read the Treasury analysis. Under our plan the vast majority of taxpayers will pay less tax and pay less tax over 10 years than they would have under the Morrison plan. That's because ours is a better plan that gives bigger tax cuts to more Australians. Some 11½ million more taxpayers will get a bigger tax cut under our tax plan. I know the opposition want to concentrate on what might happen in 10 years time because they don't want to focus on what's going to happen right now.

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

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Cash.

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

Again, President, the point of order is in relation to relevance. Again, unless we are playing a word association game in the Senate, this is about the broken promise and how much more Australians will pay under your government over the next 10 years.

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

Thank you, Senator Cash. I believe Minister Gallagher did go to that just prior to you standing up. Minister, please continue.

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

I did go to that point, and the Treasury analysis is very clear on this. I don't know how many of you have read it before you decided that you would oppose it and then decide you would support our tax cuts, but that goes to exactly the question that Senator Cash asked. The vast majority will pay less over the next 10 years. It also pre-supposes no further tax changes in the next 10 years. We've already proven that we'll be focused on making sure that we return bracket creep and do it in a fair way that's responsible to the budget. (Time expired)

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

Over the last two years on more than 100 occasions, the Prime Minister looked Australians in the eye and told them he wouldn't change tax cuts that were already locked in. He also told Australians, 'My word is my bond,' and he asked them to trust him. Minister, isn't it true that, because the Prime Minister broke his promise to the Australian people to implement the legislated stage 3 tax cuts, the effect of bracket creep means Australians will pay an extra $28 billion in taxes over the next 10 years?

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

I thank Senator Cash for the supplementary question. I do find it interesting that the opposition are complaining and moaning so much about a policy they actually support—a policy that they have agreed is the right thing to do at the right time. It's the right policy, because Labor is the party of lower taxes, and you know we got the policy settings right. Do you know what Australians can trust about our Prime Minister? Our Prime Minister will make the right decision on their behalf—not the convenient decision, not the easy decision, but to actually make a decision based on the national interests and the best interests of millions of Australians. That's what you can't stand, because you know he was right. You know the plan's right, and that's why you're voting for it.

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

Minister, is '$28 billion' a number you will never say, just like no-one on your side will ever utter the words '$275' again? That was the amount you promised Australians before the election you would reduce their yearly power bills by—another broken promise. How can Australians ever again trust anything your government says?

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

I do find it interesting that it's day 2 of this, and you're scrambling around the outside. You can't actually talk about the policy. You can't talk about the plan that we've put in place. It's all about everything else. It's all about 10 years time and what might happen when a fourth-term Albanese government is making decisions. It is interesting to see that you've clearly locked yourself out of governing for the next 10 years. You want to talk about something in 10 years time? How about we talk about what's happening right now? How about we talk about what's happening on 1 July? How about we talk about teachers, nurses, aged-care workers, truck drivers, receptionists and tradies? How about we talk about them? Do you know what happens for them on 1 July? Not in 10 years—right now. Do you know what's going to happen when that bill passes? Every one of those people will get a bigger tax cut.