Renee Coffey (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to acknowledge and thank the member for Kennedy for bringing forward this motion on income splitting. I would in particular like to acknowledge the intent of the motion, which is very clearly supporting families—something I know the member for Kennedy is passionate about, and it is a passion I share.

In Griffith, families are doing what families right across Australia do every single day. They are working hard, juggling care, managing school drop-offs and shift changes, and stretching every dollar as far as it can possibly go. So when a proposal like income splitting is put forward as support for families, we owe people an honest assessment. Does it make life easier for the families that are under the most pressure? And does it reflect how the majority of Australian families actually organise their work and care today? The answer is no.

When it comes to tax, this government's policy is clear: to deliver a system that is fairer, simpler and more sustainable and that helps Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn. Labor's first round of tax cuts has been flowing since July 2024, benefiting more than 14 million taxpayers, with further tax cuts legislated for this year and next year. Combined, they are expected to deliver an average annual tax cut of more than $2,500 in 2027-28. This is relief for every taxpayer. It does not depend on whether a household has one income or two, and it does not build dependence on the tax system.

Alongside those tax cuts, Labor has increased the Medicare low-income thresholds so more—

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