Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise today in support of Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts for middle Australia, because every single taxpayer in my electorate of Greenway—and, indeed, the 902,000 taxpayers who call Western Sydney home—deserve to keep more of what they earn. From 1 July this year they will, thanks to the Albanese Labor government. Nearly nine in 10 taxpayers in Western Sydney will receive a larger tax cut under our plan than under the Morrison government's proposal from five years ago.

We are delivering tax cuts for the workers in disability, retail and transport, for the health- and aged-care workers, and for the accountants, teachers and tradies—every taxpayer. While our plan is responsibly targeted to boost support for hardworking families, it delivers for every taxpayer right up and down the income ladder. A worker on $80,000, for example, will receive a tax cut worth more than $1,670 a year, while a cleaner earning $50,000 will receive a tax cut worth over $900 a year. Under the coalition's alternative, many of these workers, often working part time with families, would have got nothing—not a dollar. All our wonderful nurses and postal workers will get a tax cut, with over 95 per cent of those taxpayers getting a larger tax cut as a result of Labor's plan. Those earning over $150,000 a year will also receive a tax cut of at least $3,700.

Families in Greenway understand that the Albanese government is on their side. Greenway constituent Maura wrote to me recently to give her heartfelt thanks, as did Santino, who said that Labor's tax cuts were 'so fantastic'. Those are just a few examples of Greenway locals who are relieved by the meaningful difference Labor is making to help ease cost-of-living pressures. I know there are many people in my electorate who are doing it tough right now, including households experiencing high levels of mortgage stress. Local residents, many of whom are migrants who moved to Australia for opportunities for themselves and their children, are asking us to do more to help. To say to those families that there's nothing their government can do would be a furphy. The federal government is in a position to help without making the economic situation worse by adding to inflation, and our better tax cut plan does just that.

It complements our work to deliver electricity bill relief and cheaper child care, medicines and GP visits. We have increased rent assistance, delivered fee-free TAFE places and extended free broadband for school students with no connectivity at home. Labor recently launched an ACCC inquiry into supermarket prices and allegations of price gouging—the first of its kind since 2008. And we are getting wages moving because we want workers to earn more and keep more of what they earn. Helping our communities with the cost of living is our No. 1 priority. If the cost of essentials rises too fast, people can't plan or save for the future.

One of the great privileges I have in representing Greenway is meeting the people for whom our Labor policies are making a real difference. We're helping people just like Maura and Santino to strive for more to make a good life for themselves and their families. Unlike the coalition, which just says no, the Albanese government is saying yes to supporting Western Sydney families keeping more of what they earn. These new tax cuts are the right decision at the right time for the right reasons.

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