Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. The answer is that we are working to deliver these important reforms through the parliament because, as I explained a moment ago, having a strong vocational educational and training system is the centrepiece of having a modern economy, as is having important incentives in place for research and development, which the government have acted to strengthen through the R&D tax incentive. It is noteworthy of course that the opposition voted against that initiative.

It is crucial too that we have a mechanism to share the benefits of the mining boom, a mechanism we are putting in place through the minerals resource rent tax—delivering infrastructure funding, delivering improved retirement incomes, delivering a cut in company tax, delivering a $6,500 instant asset write-off. All of these things are opposed by the coalition. It is incredible they would oppose measures such as these which would stimulate and support the economy. Along the same lines as these measures, we are cutting personal income tax by trebling the tax-free threshold—again, opposed by the coalition. We are increasing pensions—opposed by the coalition. We are increasing family tax benefits—opposed by the coalition. Through the NBN, we are building the broadband infrastructure needed to support the digital economy—opposed by the coalition. Every single economic reform for the benefit of this country and for the benefit of working people is opposed by this coalition. (Time expired)

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