Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Once again, the opposition has been asking questions that are hypothetical. What the government is engaged in is an adult conversation with the Australian people, who are showing confidence in a government that has a clear plan to grow jobs and to grow the economy. That is what the debate is about. The debate is about growing jobs and growing the economy. This side of the House has a very strong record when it comes to ensuring that we have a better tax system for Australians, a better tax system that rewards Australians and backs Australians who want to be out there working and saving and investing.

We know that the last time there were genuine changes to our tax system it was the Howard-Costello government. What I remember is that those opposite when they had the opportunity did not reverse any of the changes that were introduced by the Howard-Costello government. I do not remember them going to an election and saying: 'No, we're going to put the wholesale sales tax back in. We're going to put those bed taxes back in. We're going to put the financial institutions duty back in. We're going to put back in all those stamp duties that were abolished as a result of the tax system changes that were introduced by the Howard-Costello government.' The debits, the taxes, the stamp duty on leases—all of these. I do not remember them, when they came to government, reversing the income tax cuts that were introduced by the Howard-Costello government, that were the product of tax changes. I do not remember them reversing any of the compensation measures that were put in place.

In fact, on this side of the House when we came to government while we did give the ultimate compensation on the carbon tax by abolishing it, we actually kept the compensation—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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