Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

a matter of some interest to my friend the member for Grayndler. Members may recall that the government tried to abolish these two nation-building funds when the former Treasurer, Joe Hockey, put forward his ill-fated Asset Recycling Fund. And now, after slowly crab-walking away from the Asset Recycling Fund idea, the government goes back to its old idea of abolishing these funds and crediting them to an NDIS special account. This is something my colleagues will say more about in their contributions, but I can say very clearly that we will oppose the government's plan. In the consideration in detail stage, I will be seeking to move amendments that will seek to implement our policy to have the Medicare levy increased for those earning over $87,000. And I will be moving amendments that set up the legislative framework for the reinstatement of the budget repair levy. While we may be constitutionally prevented from reinstating the levy itself, we can put the framework in place. I move the amendment circulated in my name:

That all the words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"the House declines to give this bill a second reading as:

(1) this is a tax hike on over seven million Australian workers earning less than $87,000 a year;

(2) the Government is already supporting cuts to penalty rates for low and middle income workers;

(3) at a time of low wages growth and the high cost of living pressures, including energy costs, the Government should not be seeking to raise taxes on these low and middle income workers;

(4) the Government:

  (a) is cutting funding for vocational education, university and research infrastructure, and transport infrastructure;

  (b) has failed to abolish the Nation-Building Funds previously; and

  (c) has sidelined Infrastructure Australia when making infrastructure investment decisions;

(5) the National Disability Insurance Scheme has been fully funded in a bipartisan fashion, and funding has been allocated to the NDIS in all Budgets since 2013-14 and bilateral agreements with the states that contain the Commonwealth Government’s commitment to the full funding of the NDIS have been signed in a bipartisan manner;

(6) like all other items of Government expenditure, such as defence, the NDIS is funded from consolidated revenue and does not require a separate funding arrangement; and

(7) there is a better and fairer plan which would:

  (a) only raise the Medicare Levy for those earning above $87,000 a year;

  (b) reinstate the Budget Repair Levy for those earning above $180,000 a year; and

  (c) would ease the pressure on low and middle income workers, and be better for the budget bottom line".

I know the member for Grayndler is particularly keen to second it. I will continue my remarks at a later hour.

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