David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance and the Special Minister of State, Senator Cormann. It concerns liberal values, as do my supplementary questions. Last week the Treasurer said:

So, if anyone thinks that higher taxes … is a pathway to prosperity, you're dreaming.

This week, the Liberal Party is shepherding bills through the Senate that increase taxes by more than $600 million over the forward estimates period. Given this, how can the public trust you to represent liberal values?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The public can absolutely trust us to represent liberal values, because right now taxes as a share of GDP are well below what they would have been if Labor had stayed in government. We delivered a tax cut for small business in last year's budget. We abolished Labor's disastrous carbon tax—many, many billion dollars worth of taxes taken out of the economy to help make our economy more competitive internationally and to help families and small business—and, of course, we got rid of Labor's disastrous mining tax. We have made a whole series of changes to our tax system to ensure it is more growth-friendly. We always would like to do more. We always would like to deliver even more tax cuts. But, of course, in the end, we have to make judgements. Given the fiscal mess that Labor left behind, we have to make judgements on how we can best get our budget back on a sustainable foundation for the future. These are judgements that we are making all the time.

We are focused on controlling expenditure. We are focused on making sure that the expenditure is as high as it needs to be; as low as it can be; and as efficient, as effective and as well-targeted as possible so that the taxes can be as low as possible. We are focused on making sure that the necessary revenue for government is raised in the best, most efficient and least-distorting way in the economy and in a way that is also fair. We are always focused on lower, simpler, fairer taxes. And, of course, at the next election the Australian people will have the opportunity to pass judgement on who they trust with managing the economy and who they trust with managing the budget. Those on the Labor side, who left behind a fiscal mess? Those on the Labor side, who are making unfunded promises galore again? Those on the Labor side, who have got more than $50 billion in unfunded spending promises on their books and who have a strategy of taxing more to spend more and always playing catch-up with their high levels of debt? Or those on our side, who are working in a steady, orderly and methodical fashion to get our budget back on track and get spending under control? (Time expired)

David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question, also on liberal values. Prior to the last election the Liberal Party promised to defend free speech by repealing section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. After the election the Liberal Party decided to retain 18C, and it remains a legal wrong to say something that someone is offended by on the basis of race. Given this, how can the public trust you to represent liberal values?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Leyonhjelm, I know you prefaced your primary question by saying your questions were going to be about liberal values. I think you are really stretching the friendship in relation to supplementary questions. Secondly, I really fail to see how that fits within the minister's portfolio. I will invite the minister to answer any part of that if he wishes to.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All of us on this side of the chamber, of course with the exception of our friends and colleagues in the National Party, are ministers for liberal values. Our friends in the National Party are ministers for national values. Together we are a coalition. We are a strong and united family of coalition senators in this chamber. Let me say that all of us on this side of the chamber are strong supporters of freedom of speech. I do not have portfolio responsibility for the specific matter that Senator Leyonhjelm has raised, so I would encourage him to direct the question to the appropriate minister.

David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question, again on liberal values. I seek the minister's indulgence to answer as much of it as he likes. Rather than put the issue of marriage equality to a vote in your party room or to a vote in the parliament, the Liberal Party has decided to spend millions of dollars putting it to a plebiscite some time after the next election so that straight people will be able to vote on the rights of gay people. Given this, how can the public trust you to represent liberal values?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, Senator Leyonhjelm, it is really stretching the supplementary question boundary. I invite the minister to answer any part of that question he wishes to.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I fully support the policy position adopted by the coalition. The policy position is reflected, as appropriate, in the announcements we have made in relation to it.