House debates Questions without Notice

Goods and Services Tax

Monday, 8 February 2016 House of Representatives
Chris Bowen

Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer

2:13 pm

My question is to the Treasurer. Last week, when talking up an increase in the GST, the Treasurer said, 'We've got to do what's right.' Does the Treasurer still think that increasing the GST is the right thing to do?

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Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer

The government will always do what is right, and what I was saying in that interview is that the government would determine what was right and that we would get about it. I can tell you what is not right, and that is the tax-and-spend approach of those opposite. That is what is not right for jobs and growth in this country. What I know of those opposite is they seem to confuse spending and taxes. They seem to confuse savings measures and tax measures. The member for Fraser said very recently, 'We've put on the table around $70 billion of savings over the course of the next decade.' But they are not savings; they are actually tax increases.

Dr Leigh interjecting—

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Tibor Majlath: Right for whom? What is the function of the tax system if not to tax and spend on national infrastructure, social programs, health and education for the common wealth? Surely, the tax system adapts to national and global economic circumstances in good and bad times. Perhaps it's function is only to blindly chase the 'magic' surplus, no matter what! If Labor confuses spending and taxes then the Coalition confuses spending cuts and tax cuts. Cutting spending in one area to pay for tax cuts... Continue reading

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Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

I remind the member for Fraser he has been warned.

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Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer

Those opposite do not understand the difference between a savings measure, where you actually reduce expenditure, and a tax measure, where you are pushing up taxes. This government is not about tax and spend; those opposite are.

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Mark Dreyfus

Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General

No answer!

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Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The member for Isaacs will cease interjecting.

Mr Pasin interjecting—

The member for Barker will cease interjecting.

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