James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. The Albanese government's taxpayer funded talkfest last week has produced nothing but suggestions for new and higher taxes, including a spare bedroom tax, removing capital gains tax exemptions from the family home, a wealth tax, an increase to the GST, higher taxes on super and a business training tax. Given the Treasurer has consistently said that nothing is off the table but the Prime Minister has said he won't introduce any new taxes not taken to the election, will the Prime Minister rule out new or increased taxes during this term of parliament?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If I may take one of the interjections, it is clear that the opposition hasn't learnt, and I would remind Senator McGrath that, if he is interested in taxes, he is part of a party that went to the last election with higher personal income taxes, higher taxes on the resources and manufacturing sector, higher taxes on motorists and higher taxes on the housing and construction industry. But all of a sudden Senator McGrath—someone who, I think, says he believes in smaller government despite the fact that he was part of the party that proposed many higher taxes for Australians at the last election—is now worrying about taxes.

Well, Senator, we have been very clear. We put an agenda before the Australian people at the last election which was about lower taxes for Australians. You opposed it. I think everyone in this country knows which is the party that is prepared to actually reduce taxes for working Australians and which is the party that went to an election very clearly saying, 'We want higher taxes.' No amount of scaremongering now, which is precisely what this is and I think we all know it, can hide the fact that the coalition has been the party of higher taxes, and it remains that to this day. I know that is an unusual state of affairs in Australian politics, but that is where the coalition has got to. They are the higher taxing party of Australian politics.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, first supplementary?

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The idea from the taxpayer funded talkfest that millions of Australians, including vulnerable pensioners and retirees, could be forced to pay a tax for having an empty bedroom in their house has caused significant concern amongst the Australian community. Why won't the Prime Minister join the coalition and assure the Australian people that his government will not introduce a spare bedroom tax now or ever?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the Prime Minister has said, we are implementing the tax policy we took to the last election—that is, the tax policy that is about making the tax system more efficient and fairer. But I'll take part of what Senator McGrath said. He used the phrase 'significant concern', and what that is actually code for is 'our scare campaign'. At some point, the Australian people will look to the coalition and say, 'When do you get beyond scare campaigns and when will you actually start to put forward policies that are about our lives, about our aspirations and about what we need for our families?' When are you going to do that? So far, all we have continued to see, pre-election and after the election, is a series of scare campaigns from those opposite, who still fail to have an agenda that relates to the Australian people.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. Senator McGrath, second supplementary?

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the Prime Minister rule out any changes to capital gains tax arrangements in this term of parliament—yes or no?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are delivering tax cuts. We are delivering the tax cuts you opposed and we will continue to do that, Senator. I know that you want to engage in a set of scare campaigns. A scare campaign is not policy. The problem for the coalition is that they actually don't have anything that speaks to working Australians, anything that speaks to Australian families or anything that speaks to Australians who live in the cities and outer suburbs of this country. That is what we saw during the election campaign, and we still see it now—yet again, more scare campaigns from those opposite. We will deliver the tax policies we took to the election, which are lower taxes than you ever committed to.