Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's always a pleasure to follow the member for Scullin. Whilst I don't agree with his proposition, it's very, very clear that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If you want to look at the economic strategy which is being delivered by the coalition, you need only look at the numbers. What we know is that the unemployment rate for those looking for a job in September was down 0.3 per cent to 5 per cent. We know that we have passed through parliament the reduction in the small business tax, so by 2021-22 those small businesses out there with under $50 million turnover will be paying a tax rate of only 25 per cent. We have Minister Angus Taylor. He is out there on the job, looking to drive down electricity prices. Now, I know that he is hamstrung by state governments—in particular, the hapless and incompetent ones like the Queensland Labor government led by Annastacia Palaszczuk—but he is looking to drive down the price of energy in this country.

All of those things put money back into people's pockets so they can decide what it is that they will do with their money. We know what the opposition side would do if they were in government. They would increase taxes by $200 billion. That is not a small number. That is $200,000 million in taxes which the Australian people would have to pay to those opposite. And what will they do with it? They will give it to someone else. I think it's far more important that we continue to drive our economy. We have been successful to date. We'll continue to be successful. More importantly, we are able to deliver the services that the Australian people need.

As you know, Mr Deputy Speaker Gee, I'm a passionate Queenslander.

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