Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How will the Albanese Labor government's proposed tax cuts benefit workers in the community services sector?

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the member for Macarthur for his question. The Albanese government's No. 1 priority is supporting Australians faced with cost-of-living pressures. On 1 July, Labor will deliver a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer to help with the cost of living. These tax cuts will make a real difference for the 13.6 million Australians that will get a tax cut. Our tax cuts will deliver bigger benefits for more Australians. As the Treasurer says, they're good for middle Australia, good for helping with cost-of-living pressures, good for labour supply and good for the economy.

The member for Macarthur might be interested to know that there are 90,000 taxpayers in his electorate that will get a tax cut under Labor's plan. In my portfolio of social services, the government could not deliver the programs we do without the dedication of social and community service workers. They touch many lives every day, including of those doing it tough. I met some of these workers with the member for Macarthur last year when we visited BaptistCare in Campbelltown and saw the difference that these workers make in the lives of people they support. I am pleased that, under our government's plan, our tax cuts mean these workers, along with every Australian taxpayer, will be able to take home more of what they earn.

Our tax cuts mean that a part-time disability support worker earning $40,000 will receive a tax cut of $654, keeping more money in their pocket. This worker would have got nothing under the previous government's plan. A full-time social and community services worker earning $75,000 in the member for Macarthur's electorate will receive a tax cut of $1,554 under Labor's tax cut plan. This is double the tax cut that they would have got under the previous government.

Our tax cuts for community services workers build on the substantial support the Albanese government is providing to community sector organisations to help them deliver wage increases for their workers. Our tax cuts complement other cost-of-living relief that we've delivered through increased rent assistance, electricity bill relief, cheaper child care, cheaper medicines and our boost to income support payments.

We know the opposition never wanted these tax cuts for low and middle Australia, just as they never wanted to boost income support payments and never wanted to provide energy relief. While this Leader of the Opposition, full of negativity, has no positive plans for Australia, our government will get on with the job of helping Australians with cost-of-living relief.