House debates

Monday, 6 March 2023

Questions without Notice

Income Tax

2:43 pm

Photo of Zoe McKenzieZoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Before the election the Prime Minister said he would stand by the legislated stage 3 tax cuts. Will the Prime Minister rule out any changes to the stage 3 tax cuts, or will this be the next broken promise from this tricky Prime Minister?

2:44 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Flinders for her question. We've made our priority very clear, and so have the Liberals. We now have the first commitment from the Leader of the Opposition, which is on tax issues.

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Bowman is warned.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

If successful at the next election—with the support, I assume of the member for Flinders if she's successful—he will introduce better tax concessions for those people who have $100 million in their super account.

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Having gone through almost an entire year as opposition leader, having had his first budget reply without having a single policy to put forward, we now have one. And we're expecting some questions about it today.

Honourable members interjecting

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will pause. The member for Groom is on a warning and is on thin ice. Order! If the member for Hume doesn't want me to hear the Manager of Opposition Business, keep going. I call the Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Photo of Paul FletcherPaul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | | Hansard source

It's on relevance. The question is very tightly defined. Will the Prime Minister rule out changes to the stage 3 tax cuts? He's avoiding doing that. He's equivocating.

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! I will hear from the Leader of the House.

Photo of Mr Tony BurkeMr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | | Hansard source

On the point of order, it's always been the case that when there's a tag of that nature it opens the question wide up.

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister is in order. I'm struggling to hear his answer and I'm asking the House to show some respect. I give the call to the Prime Minister.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Of course, we haven't changed our position on that issue, but we've finally found—

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for O'Connor will leave the chamber under standing order 94A.

The member for O'Connor then left the chamber.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

a group of people who the opposition will fight for. He won't fight for those veterans at risk of homelessness, which we just discussed. He won't fight for those women and children escaping domestic violence who'll benefit from the Housing Australia Future Fund. He won't fight for those people in regional Australia who want manufacturing jobs in the National Reconstruction Fund. He won't fight for those businesses who are calling for certainties with the safeguard mechanism. He won't fight for those families who want cheaper child care. He wouldn't fight for those families who will benefit from energy price relief. No to all of them. We've found a group that he'll fight for: the 17 Australians who have over $100 million in their superannuation accounts and the one Australian—he probably knows who it is—who has over $400 million in his super account.

They have consistently opposed absolutely everything, but finally they've found something that they're in favour of. They come in here having got on every interview with a friendly journalist they could find over the last week, and it's almost radio silence on super. What a— (Time expired)

Honourable member s interjecting

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! Members on my left will cease interjecting. The member for Deakin and the Prime Minister will cease interjecting.