Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to be able to speak on the Tax Laws Amendment (Temporary Budget Repair Levy) Bill 2014 and related bills because they are a testament to the Prime Minister's inability to be straight with the Australian people. I remember the last federal election well. I will remember it for the rest of my life because it was my first as a candidate for this place. I remember the promises made by the current Prime Minister and my Liberal opponent in the seat of Gellibrand during the election campaign. I remember the coalition's Real Solutions policy pamphlet that was mailed to every one of my constituents during the election campaign that said, amongst other things—it was not heavy on detail, but it did say this:

We pledge to the families of Australia that we will never make your lives harder by imposing needless new taxes …

I remember the then opposition leader's countless promises on tax. In doorstops around the nation, we heard time and time again from the then opposition leader:

What you'll get under us are tax cuts without new taxes.

We are about reducing taxes, not increasing taxes. We are about getting rid of taxes, not imposing new taxes.

… there should be no new tax collection without an election.

And even in one interview, when asked if lower taxes was a promise, he responded:

This is my whole reason for being in politics, in the Parliament.

Most damningly, in last year's budget-in-reply speech, the then opposition leader said:

A coalition government will keep the current income tax thresholds … The carbon tax will go but no-one's personal tax will go up …

And even more explicitly on the Today show last year he said:

Personal income tax will be lower under a Coalition government in its first term than it is now …

We now know that every one of these promises, and dozens more like them, were lies, fibs, fictions, falsehoods, fabrications, deceptions and deceits.

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