Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I can understand that those opposite are sensitive about being reminded that the budget fails their tests as well as our tests. But an increase in the Medicare levy thresholds is to be welcomed; I make no secret of that. It enjoys bipartisan support in this House. One cannot consider that measure in isolation. A sensible debate over the Medicare levy thresholds needs to take into account the NATSEM modelling, which shows that nine out of 10 of the poorest families are worse off under this budget, with a family with school-aged children losing $6000 a year, yet nine out of 10 of the households at the top are modestly better off. We have unemployment going up and confidence going down. We have debt going up and growth going down. The numbers that should be going up are going down. The economic numbers that should be going down are going up. The change to the Medicare levy thresholds—

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