Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. After 98 days of denial and delay, the government has finally come to its senses. Because of pressure from the coalition, there will be no widow tax. Why did it take so long for the government to do the right thing?

Milton Dick (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Treasurer is warned. We're going to hear this. We're going to do it properly. The Leader of the Opposition is to do his question. People are going to interject, but I've got to hear the question. The Prime Minister has the call.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question; I really do. We have had draft legislation on this measure out for weeks for consultation. Consultation was due to finish on Friday. We had, in that context, made it very clear that we would introduce legislation to deal with this issue. During the debate about the tax, those opposite complained about a lack of consultation up to this point. They've said that what we should have done was flag taxes before the budget, which would have, of course, like other tax measures that have an impact on the day that they're announced, meant that there was the potential—

Mr Pasin interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Member for Barker! There's far too much interjection. Just as I asked for silence for the Leader of the Opposition, I'm asking for silence for the Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

for windfall gains. What we were asked to do last night—and it took me a millisecond to say, 'Yes, we're up for that'—was to pass quicker our legislation that we had put out there for consultation. So I was more than happy to do that. The context here was the NDIS legislation that those opposite are going to vote for, to their credit. What it will do is make sure that the system is sustainable. They kicked that can down the road at a cost to the taxpayer because of a deal that they did in the Senate with the Greens. That is what occurred.

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my left, there's far too much noise.