Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Treasurer, Senator Sinodinos. Is the minister aware of the census data analysis, undertaken by the Australia Institute, of the electorate-by-electorate impact of the repeal of the low-income superannuation contribution? Can the minister confirm that the four electorates that will suffer most from the abolition of the low-income superannuation contribution are held by the National Party?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator for her question. I am aware of the data and what it shows. But the people opposite should ask themselves the question: why did they promise the Australian people a raft of spending—some $16 billion of spending—off the back of the rapidly-receding minerals resource rent tax? Why did they offer that? Why did they con low-income people and the schoolkids of Australia and say that they would get their bonus and their low-income super contribution from the rapidly-receding minerals resource rent tax, which started life as a—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my point of order is on relevance. The question was related to the issue and the answer so far has been about the mining resources tax—nowhere near the question.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable senator opposite does not understand where the money was coming from and it just shows how embarrassingly inept this opposition is.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am going to rule there is no point of order at this stage. The minister still has one minute and 21 seconds remaining to address the question. I will listen closely to the minister's answer.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There has to be context. There has to be context when you go to the Australian people and say, 'There is this great bounty coming from the mining resource rent tax'. Forty-five billion it was going to raise, then $26.5 billion. To date it has raised a net $400 million and that was going to fund, among other things, a low-income super contribution of over $3 billion. The maths does not add up.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is a debate going on across the chamber which is disorderly. If those people wish to debate the issue, the time for that is after 3 o'clock. I remind honourable senators on both my left and my right of that.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This question has a further context. It comes from a party that, in government, increased taxes on superannuation by eight to nine billion. It also pared away the super co-contribution that we as a government had implemented during the Howard government.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my left. I understand Senator Moore is on her feet but it is very difficult to listen to the answer when people are constantly interjecting.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order, again, Mr President, is about relevance. Senator Stephens's question was particularly about the location of the electorates where this impact was going to be. So far that question has not been answered.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was broader than that. I cannot instruct the minister how to answer the question. I believe the minister is addressing the question and the minister still has 33 seconds remaining.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor was going to be using borrowed money—remember that?—to fund these measures after claiming it would raise the money through the mining tax.

Senator Abetz interjecting—

The people in those electorates, as my colleague Senator Abetz has reminded us, voted for the coalition and voted for these measures that we are putting forward today.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! If people wish to use up question time by calling across the chamber, that is your prerogative, but it is disorderly.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My colleagues in the National Party are supporting the budget consolidation we are talking about here.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now you are misleading the Senate.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, Senator Faulkner, I am not. (Time expired)

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. Can the minister advise if the members for Cowper, Page, Mallee or Lyne have raised concerns with the minister or any other member of the government of the effects of these Abbott government tax hikes on their electorate?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When there is silence on my left, the minister has the call.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can assure the House that all members on this side are supporting solid policies which will have a particular impact on the superannuation prospects of lower income workers, particularly the great majority of those workers who are women. The government firmly supports superannuation which will be paid on our paid parental leave plan.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is silence on my left, we will proceed.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. A woman earning the average full-time salary and who has two children will be around $50,000 better off in retirement under our paid parental leave plan because it includes the payment of superannuation. Ours is a fully funded plan, so it will be delivered. Women earning the average full-time salary will be $21,000 better off under the government's paid parental leave plan.

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Sinodinos, resume your seat again. You are entitled to be heard in silence. I remind those on my left: it is disorderly to interject.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! If people wish to debate the issue, the debate is after three o'clock.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under our paid parental leave scheme a woman, or the primary carer, would have an average wage over 26 weeks instead of a minimum wage for 18 weeks. (Time expired)

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a further supplementary question, Mr President. Is the minister aware that the top 15 electorates that will most suffer under this tax hike are regional electorates? Why is the government targeting the retirement incomes of those in regional Australia, and why are the National Party members not raising this issue with you?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is silence on both sides we will proceed.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

People in all parts of the country—city or country—will benefit from these policies that I have just enunciated. Once the budget is back in the black, we have committed to revisiting superannuation incentives for low-income earners. We will remain by that commitment. In the meantime, if the people opposite are genuinely in favour of reducing the living costs of families, they should be getting on with reducing the carbon tax and getting out of the way of other measures which will bring durable increases in the disposable incomes of Australian families.