Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Well, there is a point! There is one thing they're proposing: why don't you go into more debt? The other one is to increase taxes on small business. Remember, small business is not just the place where people can get ahead and support themselves and their families; so often, it is the first place that a young Australian in a community gets their first job. The Labor government's answer is: 'Let them eat taxes!' This is the problem with this government: they simply have no understanding of the consequences of their measures, and the Treasurer has the temerity to come into this parliament and quote my own book at me.

I'm reminded of that old quote: 'What's the difference between a capitalist and a communist? Both have read Marx; one understands it.' The difference between a shadow treasurer and a Treasurer is this: the shadow treasurer wrote the book; the Treasurer clearly doesn't understand it.

I did an actual search. I have an electronic copy on my phone. A number of times I typed in 'higher taxes', 'higher taxes', 'higher GDT' and 'higher capital gains', and each time it came back with 'search completed; no matches found'. That's the difference between writing a book and understanding it, but I don't expect the Treasurer to ever understand that. When it comes down to it, this government does not understand the consequences of their measures, but Australians do because they're living through the pain and the punishment of the Albanese government. Australians, if you have a story about how this betrayed trust is impacting you, please submit your story at www.notthetax.com.au because we want those stories. We can shine a bright light on what this government is actually doing.

We know that tomorrow night the Leader of the Opposition is going to come into this chamber and offer Australians hope. This government will end. It will end when their taxing agenda is finally over. It will end. This government will end because Australians see through their deception and their deceit, and we are going to offer a better future where young Australians look to the horizon with confidence.

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