Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Collins and welcome her back. I congratulate her on being capable of asking the right minister a portfolio related question. It shows her experience will be useful. Perhaps she could pull Senator Coonan aside later and brief her on the correct procedures. It is an important question, because what last’s night budget did was deliver to working families. It delivered in spades to working families to help them with the economic pressures under which they find themselves. More importantly, it actually delivered exactly on the Labor government’s promises made at the last election—it delivered on our commitments to the Australian public. I know those opposite are unfamiliar with such a strategy, but, when the Prime Minister said to working families he would deliver, he did in last night’s budget. All the measures we went to the election with were delivered in full.

People have noticed a very different approach in government. They have noticed that this government is committed to delivering on its commitments, and it has delivered on those commitments to assist working families in this period of high inflation. They know that this government inherited high inflation from the previous government, they know that is feeding in to their interest rates and they know that they want support in difficult times. We gave that support by delivering on a major priority of fighting inflation. The budget was focused on fighting inflation. The very large surplus that we delivered last night will assist in the fight against inflation and will assist in keeping downward pressure on interest rates.

People in Australia, working families in Australia, understand that that is the most important thing government can do—fight inflation and keep downward pressure on inflation—because they know any other gains they make from wage increases or increasing benefits will be eaten away if inflation is not controlled. What Australian people also know is that we made a commitment to deliver a package of support to Australian working families—a package of measures designed to assist them. We know they are under financial pressure, we know they are dealing with increased prices, we know they are dealing with soaring fuel prices and we know that is putting enormous pressure on family budgets. That is why the Australian government’s budget last night was directed at assisting those people through the delivery of the personal income tax cuts worth $46 billion over the next four years to boost take-home pay and offer extra incentives to work and improve skills.

The tax cuts we promised were delivered, and they were delivered to middle and lower income earners. Unlike the Howard government’s tax cuts, which were always directed at the top end of town, these tax cuts go to people on middle and lower incomes, who need the assistance. They also will get the education tax refund to help them with the costs of educating their kids. That 50 per cent education tax refund will go a long way towards assisting them in meeting the costs of educating their kids. The 50 per cent childcare tax rebate is another huge initiative to assist those people with children in child care. It provides more financial assistance and allows partners to return to work knowing that they have affordable child care. A range of other measures, like the Teen Dental Plan, the first home saver accounts, the fairer Medicare levy surcharge and the national Fuelwatch scheme, are all designed to assist working families in meeting the demands on them with rising costs as a result of the inflation left to the Rudd Labor government. The budget delivered for working families. (Time expired)