Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I have a couple of observations. My second observation will be in response to some of the remarks made by Senator Xenophon, but firstly I want to talk about the arrogance of this government and the arrogance of this minister in not being prepared to answer legitimate questions put to him by a senator representing the state of Queensland, the state that this tax hike is supposed to be for. These are legitimate questions being put by Senator Macdonald, a senator representing the state of Queensland, and the minister just sits there, refuses to get up and refuses to provide answers to the questions that are being put to him.

It is always easy to whack another tax on people right across Australia. Every Australian earning more than $50,000 will be asked to pay this tax—an increase in their income tax. Whatever cuddly name you want to give it, Minister, this is an increase in the income tax rates of all Australians earning more than $50,000, and it will no doubt get through this chamber with the support of Senator Xenophon. Minister, I urge you to just reflect on your attitude in this chamber in not answering legitimate questions that are being put to you by a senator representing the state that this tax is supposed to help fund the reconstruction effort for.

My ears pricked up when I heard Senator Xenophon try to answer a question that Senator Macdonald had put to the minister about the reason why this tax is exclusively imposed on individuals and not on others. Senator Xenophon put it in these words: that he had been told that it was administratively—