Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. I was pleased to see that, from yesterday, if you're a taxpayer in this country then a tax cut is coming your way. How is the Albanese Labor government working to ensure that Australians can earn more and keep more of what they earn? And can the minister please tell the Senate how every hardworking, tax-paying teacher, nurse, cleaner and carpenter in my home state of Queensland and right across the country will be better off?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Green, for the question. Senator Green, you are right; the Labor government of which you and all the senators on this side are a part has delivered tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer—13.6 million Australians. What Treasury analysis shows is that our tax cuts will see families with children pocket an average of more than $3,200 over the next 12 months, and it's for all taxpayers, not just some.

Of course, from 1 July about 2.8 million people in your state of Queensland, Senator Green, got a tax cut. Out of those, nine out of 10, or 2.4 million Queenslanders, are better off under Labor than they would have been under Mr Dutton's plan. This is what Labor's tax cuts mean: a part-time cleaner earning $40,000 a year will be more than $650 better off; a builder earning $80,000 per year and helping deliver much-needed housing supply—if the Greens get out of the way—will be getting an extra $1,679 in their bank account over the next 12 months; and a nurse earning $110,000 will see nearly $2½ thousand more in their pocket over the next year to help ease cost-of-living pressures. This is genuine tax reform that lifts thresholds, cuts rates and returns bracket creep at the same time.

Of course, we are providing tax cuts and other cost-of-living support while also working to create jobs. Since the election, 880,000 jobs have been created, which is the most of any first-term government. Australians now have a government that supports wage growth, unlike those opposite's deliberate design feature of low wages— (Time expired)

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

Senator Green, first supplementary?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for that response. As a proud member of the Albanese Labor government that works for all Australians, I'd like to ask the minister this: why is the government giving a tax cut to every taxpayer in this country, not just some, as the Liberals and Nationals would have liked?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Green, for the supplementary. I think we really saw one of the differences between the parties in the tax cuts that they came forward with. We really saw that. The majority of Australians and all Australians on lower incomes wouldn't have got a tax cut under those opposite. This is the contrast between the Labor government seeking to work for all Australians and the Liberals and the Nationals, who are all negativity and no plan. We saw this on display when we announced the tax cuts for every taxpayer. Guess who opposed it? The Liberals and the Nationals. Guess who said they'd roll those tax cuts back? Do you remember? We had a bit of rollback over there. Then of course they called for an election. They were going to have an election on the tax cuts. Then what did they do? They just quietly voted for them, although they want to change them and take them to the next election, and they're not telling people what they really want. But, because this economic policy is an expression of values, we do know what they really think. (Time expired)

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

Senator Green, second supplementary?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that the Albanese government's work to ease cost-of-living pressures goes beyond tax cuts. Can the minister please update the Senate on how the Albanese government is providing energy bill relief now and delivering the only plan backed by experts for a clean, cheap, reliable and resilient energy system that will support Australians?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Power prices and energy security are serious issues, and they deserve serious attention and a real plan. That is what this government is providing. It's the first time that Australians have seen that in over a decade.

What we know about those opposite is they have no plan. They have a political strategy, which is their nuclear announcement—we haven't really heard a lot about that lately—which is the most expensive form of energy. They want to deliver the most expensive form of energy in 20 years time and, worse, they want taxpayers to foot the bill.

You know what the Smart Energy Council said? It said that your reactors would cost as much as $600 billion of taxpayer dollars while delivering 3.7 per cent of the energy needed in 2050. (Time expired)