Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I am aware that analyses of price increases across Australia have been released by various authorities. I do not have the full detail of the ACT's one. I say again to the senator that the government has included in its assessment of household assistance price increases which are broadly comparable—and in some cases the reality has been smaller price increases—with what we are seeing. In other words, we have assessed correctly the price impact of a carbon price. We are making sure that we deliver assistance to Australian households. That assistance comes in the form of a tripling of the tax-free threshold, which is a tax cut for everybody earning under $80,000 a year. It is a particularly good reform for second income earners, because it ensures that they keep more of every dollar that they earn. That means that it has the added benefit of enhancing participation, a reform that was overdue and a reform that has been delivered by a Labor government in the context of the clean energy package and the tax reform associated with that package.

ACT pensioners and recipients of the disability support pension and recipients of other allowances will receive assistance that the government has announced. Pensioners get $338 per annum for singles and $510 per annum for couples combined. There are increases to the family tax benefit on a per child basis and to family tax benefit B, as well as assistance to self-funded retirees in receipt of the Commonwealth seniors healthcare card.