Jim Chalmers
Rankin · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“It's why we have delivered and are delivering an ambitious budget defined by reform and resilience and responsible economic management. We've been delivering for the Australian people while the member for Hume has been destroying the Liberal Party. We've been delivering for Australians. He's been destroying the once great Liberal Party.”
“I acknowledge the member for Gellibrand and thank him especially for his work on Asian capability and the big report that he has just released as the chair of the education committee. Today is obviously a very important day.”
“We don't just acknowledge those challenges; we are addressing them. That's why we are delivering more tax cuts for Australian workers, more pay rises for people on awards and the minimum wage and a fairer tax system for first home buyers.”
“It's because every time the Australian people need them to vote to help them with these real pressures that they face, they vote to make things worse rather than better. They leave this parliament today more divisive and more divided than ever. We leave this parliament today delivering for the Australians who sent us here.”
“On Friday, we learned that the deficit for the year just finished will be smaller than anticipated at budget time, and we know from the AOFM this week that our debt will be $200 billion less than the trajectory we inherited from those opposite. If those opposite had their way, there'd be bigger deficits and more debt.”
“The member for Macquarie is a wonderful representative of workers and small businesses and families in her beautiful part of Australia. Today is a really important day, as the Prime Minister said a moment ago. We are delivering tax cuts.”
The complete record
Every one of 706 lines we hold for Jim Chalmers, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 15.
“There are a couple of things about that question. As for the last part of the question, if you look at the Reserve Bank's forecasts, they have inflation peaking around the middle of this year and then trailing away after that. We'll update our own Treasury forecasts in the usual way in the budget, and that will take into consideration recent developments. On the governor's views about the impacts of inflation, I share them. That's why when we came to office and inflation was higher than six per cent and absolutely roaring on your watch we took steps to make sure that we could get inflation lower than when we came to office. In recent times, we've seen a tick up, which means that inflation is higher than anyone would like. That's why we're rolling out cost-of-living help that those opposite oppose. That's why we're cutting taxes again.”
“I answered this question when the member for Cook asked it a moment ago. The member for Casey is making the same mistake that the member for Cook made and the member for Fairfax made as well. That is to conflate two very different things. Now, if the member for Casey were listening a moment ago to my answer to the member for Cook, he would have heard me say that 'public is part of aggregate demand' is not contested by anyone. The question is whether the—”
“That's an important bit of perspective, I think, when those opposite peddle partial numbers telling a partial story. Of course we support small businesses. The small-business minister is an extraordinarily dedicated minister to the small businesses of this country. Because of her work and Minister Collins's before her, our government is providing more than $2 billion in targeted support for small business, including in the program that was drawn up and implemented by those opposite, which is currently underperforming.”
“They are lower than in the nine wasted years of Prime Ministers Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison. Insolvency rates as a proportion of businesses are lower under this government than under the Howard government and the three governments which preceded us. They are currently almost half of the pre-COVID average. That's business insolvencies. Now, instead of using the percentages, they want to use nominal—they want to use the total amount of businesses. Isn't it strange that they never mention that, since the government came to office, we've averaged around 26,000 new companies each month, according to ASIC data. This is more than 20 per cent higher than the average under the former government. More businesses are being created on our watch; it's actually more than 2½ times what was recorded under the Howard government.”
“The first point is: we've learned in recent weeks to tread very carefully when it comes to those opposite verballing people's comments. So that's the first point. The second point is that the program that the shadow minister is referring to was a coalition program. That's the second point. And, on the third point about business insolvencies, of course we understand that businesses, especially small businesses, are under pressure. But I want to provide for this House, because those opposite are quick to, I think, use figures in a misleading way. I wanted to point out the following. Insolvencies as a proportion of companies under the Albanese government have been the lowest for any government on record. Business insolvencies are lower than they were under Prime Minister Howard.”
“We know that there is more work to do in the budget, because people are still under pressure and the budget is under pressure as well, but it would be under more pressure and people would be under more pressure if those opposite were implementing their election policies for higher taxes, bigger deficits and more debt. The member for Hume and the member for Fairfax have to take responsibility for that. They are among the two biggest reasons why nobody takes them seriously on the economy any more.”
“There's more work to do, but the substantial progress that we've made has come from savings, spending restraint and surpluses that those opposite were incapable of. We won't be taking lectures from them on the budget or on taxes. They might change their leader this week, but they can't change their record. At the same time as we got the budget in better nick, we're cutting income taxes so more people can earn more and keep more of what they earn. This means lower taxes for workers and lower average tax rates in the economy—a big part of our effort to rebuild incomes after the deliberate wage stagnation we saw under those opposite.”
“He wouldn't know the first thing about responsible economic management. They failed, every year, to deliver a surplus, and we've already delivered two. They had real spending growth at 4.1 per cent. We've got it down to 1.7 per cent. They were spending almost a third of the economy. We got it down, closer to a quarter. They spent most of the upward revisions to revenue. We have saved most of them. We got their debt down by $176 billion, partly by saving $114 billion, including $20 billion in the most recent update in December, which improved the budget position in every single year of the forward estimates. This is an important part of the biggest nominal improvement in the budget in our history, allowing us to make room for key investments in areas like Medicare.”
“Thanks to the member for Hughes for his question and for the really important contribution that he's already making to our team in this place. This government is improving the budget position at the same time as we're helping with the cost of living by cutting taxes for all 14 million Australian taxpayers in the tax system a second and third time this term. These are the big differences between a government which is delivering tax cuts and that shambolic three-ring circus over there. Don't forget the highest-taxing government in recent decades was the Howard government. The highest-spending government in recent decades was the Morrison government. Those opposite went to the election with a policy for higher taxes, bigger deficits and more debt. Now, the shadow Treasurer, a moment ago, asked about tightening the belt.”
“And, secondly, the quote that I used from the interview that she gave on Tuesday morning on the ABC reflects the factual point that what we saw in the economy in 2025 was public demand growth making a smaller contribution to demand in the economy and private demand growth making a bigger contribution to growth in the economy. Now, I understand that those opposite are so desperate in their current political condition, but they cannot deny the fact that the story of the economy in 2025 was the faster-than-expected recovery in the private economy. If they don't want to take my word for it, then they should take the word of the Reserve Bank governor, who said, 'Growth in private demand has strengthened substantially more than expected.' The RBA governor said, 'Private demand is growing more quickly than expected.'”
“First of all, I think I've said a number of times now, through the course of this week and before that, that I take responsibility for all aspects of my job, including our part in the fight against inflation. I think I've made that very clear, and repeatedly so. When I quoted the economist that the shadow Assistant Treasurer is referring to, Diana Mousina, from her interview on the ABC on Tuesday morning, I was making two points very clear, and both of these points still stand. First of all, there is not a unanimous view amongst economists, the view pushed by those opposite, and that remains the case.”
“We are acting on it with cost-of-living help that those opposite oppose. We are acting on it with tax cuts that those opposite oppose and want to repeal. We are acting on it with budget repair that those opposite were completely incapable of. Inflation is one of three major challenges, but it is the most pressing challenge in our economy in the near term. We've also got a longer standing challenge with productivity, and both of those are set against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty. But we need to remember, as we confront all of this together, we also have big advantages. As the Reserve Bank governor said on Tuesday: We are actually in a really good position. This goes, I think, to those opposite—”
“The good people of Moore elected an absolute champion as their local member in this place. I appreciate his question. Inflation last week and rates this week were important reminders of the challenges in our economy, despite all of the progress that has been made together. Inflation at the end of the year didn't come in much higher than we expected, but it came in higher than we would like. Some of that inflation is temporary; some of it is more persistent. It's nowhere near the peaks that we saw in 2022 under those opposite, but all of it adds to the pressure that people feel around the country, and the Reserve Bank's decision will add to that pressure as well. We understand that inflation is too high in our economy. We acknowledge that; we get that, and that's why we're acting on it.”
“The point that the Reserve Bank governor was making, which I suspect the shadow Treasurer knows and is being dishonest about—she said that, when you look across the economy at aggregate demand and total demand, the thing that stands out is that private demand recovered more quickly than they were anticipating, which goes to the half a dozen or so quotes that I've been reading out throughout the course of question time today and yesterday as well. Of course, when you look across the economy at total demand or aggregate demand, whatever you want to call it, the thing that stands out—”
“Thanks to the member for Kennedy for his question. I wanted to say that one of the first things I did this year was to travel with the Prime Minister and Minister McBain to make sure that we spent time—”
“And, once again, the statement on monetary policy reads: The contribution of public demand to year-ended GDP growth has continued to ease in recent quarters … Those opposite continue to ignore the very clear statements made by the independent Reserve Bank when explaining the decision that they took yesterday. We understand that as a government we need to continue to manage the budget responsibly. We need to rollout this cost-of-living help in the best way that we can. There's more work to do on the budget in May. That's obviously the case. When we talk about cost-of-living help, we should remember that just this morning the opposition leader said, 'All the relief that the government has provided to struggling Australians—that's not the answer.' So they don't support the cost-of-living relief that's rolling out.”
“The governor made the point—and I'm quoting: Growth in private demand has strengthened substantially more than expected … I'm quoting again: Private demand is growing more quickly than expected … In the statement on monetary policy, it said, 'Private demand was much stronger than expected.' In the statement on monetary policy, it reads: The near-term upward revision is driven by private demand … And in the press conference: Private demand has turned out to be much stronger than we had been forecasting … This is the reality that the Governor of the Reserve Bank and I have been pointing to.”
“Even this morning, Access Economics made the point that public spending is not the driver of the uptick in inflation that we saw towards the end of last year and represented in last week's inflation numbers. If the shadow Treasurer doesn't want to take the word of those economists, then I refer him again to the comments of the Reserve Bank governor yesterday in the media release, in the statement on monetary policy and in the press conference itself.”
“Again, by his logic, the bigger deficits that they've taken to the last election for this year and next year would make the inflation challenge in our economy worse, not better—by his own logic. You can't take to an election a policy to spend much more and to have bigger deficits and more debt and then make the argument that the shadow Treasurer is making. He's got to choose one argument or the other. When it comes to the views of economists, as I've said on a number of occasions now, there are a range of views about this. From AMP: … government spending has peaked and the growth of government spending is going to add less to inflation … The Commonwealth Bank said, 'The public sector's contribution to growth has eased significantly.' From Westpac: Public sector demand growth is slowing and indeed was negative over the first half of 2025.”
“That's why the work that we're doing on productivity and lifting the speed limit of the economy is such important work. So we're seeing that transition in our economy. We've seen it over the course of the last year or so. So these are the points that I've been making and the points that the RBA governor has been making. We know that there's more work to do on inflation and on productivity against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, and that's the government's focus.”
“In the Reserve Bank governor's press conference, she said: … private demand has turned out to be much stronger than we had been forecasting. But, perhaps most importantly when it comes to refuting some of the rubbish that has been peddled by those opposite, this is in the Statement on monetary policy issued yesterday by the independent Reserve Bank, and I'm quoting here: The contribution of public demand to year-ended GDP growth has continued to ease in recent quarters … That's because what's been happening in our economy is an important transition over the course of the last year or so, where the public sector, measured by public final demand growth, has been retreating—last year it was less than a third of what it was the year before—and that slack has been taken up by the private sector, which is a good thing so long as the economy can accommodate it.”
“When it comes to the points that those opposite have been making about yesterday's decision by the Reserve Bank to increase interest rates, I think it's really important to recognise that the points that I have been making yesterday and today are in lockstep with the points that were made by the Reserve Bank governor. This is what the Reserve Bank governor said in the press release announcing the decision: Growth in private demand has strengthened substantially more than expected … … … … … private demand is growing more quickly than expected … In the Statement on monetary policy , they said: Private demand was much stronger than expected … … … … The near-term upward revision is driven by private demand … These are just the economic facts that the Reserve Bank governor and I have been pointing out.”
“Thank you to the honourable member for her question. As I said yesterday and again today, I take responsibility for all aspects of my job, including my part in the fight against inflation. I dispute the characterisation of comments last year. I think I've been saying for the last couple of years that budgets aren't the primary determinant of prices in our economy. I've been saying that, really, for some time now, and that's because it's true. I know that we've got a job to do to roll out cost-of-living help in the most responsible way that we can to and to make the budget even more sustainable. I take responsibility for that as well.”
“They took to the election a policy for higher income taxes, higher electricity bills, bigger deficits and more debt, and that's why nobody takes them seriously on the economy anymore. They might change their leader, but they can't change their record. We will not be taking lectures from them. We have delivered the surpluses, the spending restraint and the savings that our predecessors could not. We know that there's more work to do on the budget, and that's our focus as they focus on who sits where over there.”
“They doubled the debt even before the pandemic, and we've been able to get some of it down. They went to the election promising to jack up income taxes on every taxpayer; we'll cut taxes this year and next year as well. I know that the shadow Treasurer has been talking about fiscal rules. The Liberal Party's fiscal rules weren't worth the paper that they were printed on. They promised surpluses; they went none from nine. They didn't limit their spending or bank revenue upgrades like we have. They failed every test that they set for themselves. The highest spending government was Scott Morrison's government. The highest taxing government was John Howard's government.”
“We've got the gross debt down this year to $176 billion lower than what it was when we came to office, and that means we're avoiding that $60 billion in interest costs. But the progress is most obvious when you compare our record on the budget to that of our predecessors. They promised a surplus in their first year and every year—they never delivered one. We've already delivered two surpluses, and we got their deficits down. They had real spending growth averaging 4.1 per cent; we've got it down to 1.7 per cent. They had spending at almost a third of the economy; we've got it down closer to a quarter. They spent the majority of upward revisions to revenue; we have saved most of them. They had debt peaking at 45 per cent of our economy; we've got that down to 37 per cent.”
“Thanks to the member for Banks for the big and thoughtful contribution he's already making in his first term in this place. As I was saying, the midyear update that we handed down in December detailed $20 billion in savings, and it banked every cent of upward revisions to revenue. What made it the most responsible midyear update on record was that it was the only one ever to have a better bottom line every year of the forward estimates, less debt every year of the forward estimates and net policy decisions that improve the budget bottom line. This is entirely consistent with the responsible approach that we've taken since we came to office. We've delivered that biggest nominal turnaround in the budget ever—a $233 billion improvement. We've found that $114 billion in savings.”
“The fact is that we've made savings in all of our budgets and budget updates. That's why we've found $114 billion in savings, including $20 billion in savings in the midyear budget update less than two months ago. To give the shadow Treasurer and shadow Assistant Treasurer a sense of the magnitude of that, it took the previous government seven budget updates to find anything like $20 billion in savings, so I won't be taking lectures from those opposite when it comes to responsible economic management.”
“Once again leaving out that interest rates started going up on their watch and there were three interest rate cuts last year—but, more broadly, in terms of the points made by Shane Oliver, as I said yesterday in this place and on other occasions as well, that is a view that is not unanimously shared amongst economists. The AMP economists said government spending has peaked and that growth in government spending is going to add less to inflation. Commonwealth Bank economists said the public sector's contribution to growth has eased significantly. Westpac economists said public sector demand growth is slowing and, indeed, was negative over the first half of 2025. Now, if his question is, 'Will the government be looking to make more savings in its fifth budget, in May?' the answer is yes.”
“I think it is entirely inappropriate for those opposite to try to drag into this one of the finest public servants that this country has ever seen, especially to do it on the day when we've appointed Sarah Court to be the Chair of ASIC, which means that, under this government, this Prime Minister and this cabinet, for the first time in the history of four major economic institutions in this country, they're led by women—the Treasury for the first time in our history, ASIC for the first time in our history, the Productivity Commission for the first time in our history and the Reserve Bank for the first time in our history. We are proud of the appointments that we have made and the progress that we have made, and those opposite shouldn't try to diminish a very fine public servant, as they just have.”
“I think it reflects a level of desperation on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition that she would go after a wonderful public servant in the way that she just has. Now, the Treasury secretary, under governments of both political persuasions, attends these board meetings as a representative of the Treasury—not the Treasurer, not the government—and they play an important and a meaningful role there. They did when you were in office—when they were in office, Mr Speaker—and they do now.”
“So what we've seen in our economy is public demand in retreat over the course of the last year, private demand growing strongly, and that explains the additional pressure on inflation. Now, I want to make it clear that, even though inflation has moderated substantially since those opposite were in office, it is higher than we would like. We've acknowledged that since the data came out. Some of that is temporary pressures. Some of that is more persistent pressures. All of that is adding to the pressures that people are feeling around the country. That's why our cost-of-living relief is so important and that's why it's so important that we've got the budget in better nick than what those opposite left us.”
“This is the Reserve Bank board in their statement just released: 'Growth in private demand has strengthened substantially more than expected …' This is the point that the Reserve Bank has made today. Pressure on inflation, the big contribution to growth in our economy, is coming from private demand and not public demand, and that is clear. And the statement on monetary policy, which the Bank has also released today, said that the upgrade to the near-term outlook was due to stronger private demand. They said the near-term upward revision is driven by private demand and that the contribution of public demand to year-end GDP growth has continued to ease in recent quarters, as expected.”
“Our mid-year budget update showed the budget is more than $233 billion better than we inherited from those opposite, and part of the reason for that is $114 billion in savings since we came to office, including $20 billion in the mid-year update. I want to make it really clear to the House and to people watching from home that the statement released by the independent Reserve Bank explaining the decision that they have taken today does not mention 'government spending' at all. It doesn't mention 'government spending' at all. In fact, it makes it very clear that the pressure on inflation is coming from private demand. Let me make this really clear.”
“Thank you to the member for Adelaide for his question today. As expected, the independent Reserve Bank has increased the cash rate by 25 basis points. This will be difficult news for millions of Australians with a mortgage, and we understand the pressure that this puts on Australian families and businesses. Now while today's decision was widely expected, obviously, that doesn't make it any easier. We know that many Australians are doing it tough, which is why we continue to roll out responsible cost-of-living relief, including a further tax cut this year and another one next year—both of them opposed by those opposite. At the same time, we're doing what we can to strengthen the budget and to address our longstanding productivity challenge.”
“They are the key reasons why nobody takes them seriously on the economy anymore, a point that Peter Costello himself made when he was talking to Troy Bramston at Christmas. There are real challenges in our economy. We are focused on them. They're just focused on themselves.”
“They might change their leader, but they can't change their record. They can't change the fact they left us higher and rising inflation. They left us bigger deficits and more debt. They took to the election a policy for higher taxes, higher electricity prices, bigger deficits and more debt as well. What this government is doing is rolling out cost-of-living help in a responsible way at the same time as we get the budget in a much better condition than we inherited from those opposite. We delivered two surpluses. We found $114 billion in savings. We got the Liberal debt down. We got real wages growing for two years. We got inflation down from a six in front of it and rising, which is what we inherited from those opposite. So, again, we won't be taking lectures from those opposite.”
“I have made it clear that I take responsibility for all aspects of my job, including my part of the fight against inflation. What makes it especially galling to get this question from those opposite is they left us with inflation north of six per cent and absolutely galloping when we came to office. The inflation challenge peaked in 2022 because we inherited from them inflation much higher and rising. We also inherited much bigger deficits and more debt. To make it worse, those opposite, every one of them—when they used to be in the same party before they went their three separate ways—took to the last election a policy for higher income taxes, higher electricity bills, bigger deficits and more debt. We won't be taking lectures from those opposite about responsible economic management.”
“As I've said on a number of occasions today, and before that as well, I take responsibility for all aspects of my job. I take responsibility for my part and our part in the fight against inflation. I take responsibility for the fact that this government is rolling out cost-of-living help that those opposite oppose. I take responsibility for the fact that the budget is much, much stronger now, because of our collective efforts, than what we inherited from those opposite. I take responsibility for all aspects of my job. More than that, we are taking action. We are taking action with cheaper medicines, with more bulk-billing, with student debt relief, with free TAFE and with two more tax cuts, opposed by those opposite, after the first one, also opposed by those opposite.”
“This condolence motion is to demonstrate that this House and the communities that we all represent are there for our Jewish sisters and brothers today and for everyone affected by the atrocity at Bondi, for all of the difficult days of hurting and healing ahead.”
“When we see Reuven Morrison, or Ahmed al-Ahmed or the police officers, we hope that we would be that brave in that situation. You don't need to be a scholar of the Talmud to understand its message that whoever destroys a single soul is deemed to have destroyed an entire world and that whoever saves a single soul is deemed to have saved an entire world, or to understand that this attack on this Jewish community is an attack on all Australians; that an attack on the peaceful act of celebrating Jewish faith is an attack on all of our faiths and all of our traditions—to understand that what happened on 14 December is not something which the Jewish community can or will be left to mourn alone. Today we gather in grief, but we need to also gather in resolve and in solidarity.”
“As we've heard, the victims at Bondi came from all walks of life: rabbis, devoted volunteers, sports lovers, an IT analyst, a retired police detective and a Holocaust survivor—all bound by the simple act of enjoying life and observing faith under a summer sky when their lives were cut short. We say to everyone affected by this horror and to every Jewish Australian: you have the right to walk the beach, the promenade and the park in safety; to be proud of your origins and your heritage; and to celebrate your faith in public. This should be an act of community and not an act of physical courage. Our grief today is shared because our lives are shared. When Australians see little Matilda, we see our own kids—the happiness that face painting or a petting zoo brings them. When we see Boris and Sofia Gurman's courage, we imagine our own parents.”
“As others have pointed out, Australian Jews have helped shape this nation since the early days of European settlement. From our most distinguished citizens, like General Sir John Monash and our first Australian-born governor-general, Sir Isaac Isaacs, and to our friends and our neighbours, our workmates and our teammates, this community is woven into the fabric of our national life—an intrinsic part of our Australian story. For many, here and around the world, Bondi is a symbol; it's a part of what it means to be Australian. In its sun drenched freedom, Bondi has formed a big part of our own self-image, and now the sickening atrocity of 14 December is also a part of Bondi—a part of our story.”
“They lent me a kippah to light a candle and placed an 'even', which is a little remembrance stone, with me. Rabbi Berger and Rabbi Yanky, as I said, are here today and I want to say to them, 'Thank you'. Together we joined the thousands of others who were there over the past five weeks to pay respect to the lives lost to this unspeakable and unfathomable violence and to their loved ones; to the witnesses, the lifesavers and the police and paramedics, some of whom have been with us today as well; to the reporters, the brave community heroes and the nurses, the surgeons and the psychologists; to all of those who were hurt, who are hurting and who are helping; and to every Australian who knows that this kind of hatred has no place in the sort of society that we love and cherish.”
“That Elon survived, that Yanky survived and that at least 55 were wounded and survived—these are miracles. Jewish law tells us that when God performs a miracle you're obligated to return to that place and give thanks—Yanky told me about that. I know that's what he did, and I know that's what Elon did too because I was there when Elon returned for the first time. And given what Rabbi Berger, Rabbi Ulman, Yanky and Elon have all been through, it was so unbelievably generous of them to spend time with me last week in that breezy and beautiful park to talk me through and to walk me through what happened that day on what Rabbi Berger called the 'killing ground'. They showed me the bullet holes in the trees and in the steel structures of those little gazebos.”
“His friend Rabbi Mendy Berger, also in the gallery today, was about 90 metres away at the other end of the festival. He saw Yanky shot. And while he sheltered his daughter, he saw the whole massacre unfold. He saw the horror wrought by this evil act of ISIS inspired, antisemitic terrorism, and he saw the chaos and then the bravery which followed it. He saw another man, Elon, shot multiple times in front of his own little two-year-old son, and he assumed that he was dead. Rabbi Mendy Ulman was also there and also sheltering his child. When Eli Schlanger was gunned down, the two rabbis lost an uncle and brother-in-law. Their lives were connected by family and faith, now by terror and tragedy. In all, as we know, 15 were killed that day and, amidst the terror, there are stories of extraordinary bravery and survival.”
“On weekends at kids' sport and at fetes and festivals, there's often a volunteer medic to tend to bumps and bruises and sprained ankles. In the Jewish community, that first aid is often provided by Hatzolah, a first responder group. Yaakov Super, who's in the gallery with us today, is a volunteer medic with Hatzolah. His mates call him Yanky. Yanky was on hand to provide routine first aid at the Hanukkah celebration in the park at Bondi on 14 December. Yanky was shot in the back that day, just near the footbridge. He thought he must have been among the first hit because he heard gunshots after he fell but not before. The mic draped over his shoulder was shattered, but he found a way to radio for help. Fragmentation from the bullet collapsed his right lung. He lay on his folded kippah, hoping that the pressure would stop him bleeding out.”
“Whether it's our tax cuts and their approach to them, whether it's the historic reforms to the EPBC Act that the Prime Minister, Minister Watt and Minister Gallagher secured today, two things are really clear: we finish this year focused, united and delivering; they finish the year divided, divisive and in disarray.”
“No wonder nobody takes him or them seriously on the economy. They haven't changed a bit and they haven't learned a thing from the election. I wanted to tell the House about something the housing spokesman from that side said yesterday. Get a load of this! In the Canberra Times yesterday I read: 'The Liberal housing spokesman said his party should focus on tax cuts for wealthier Australians. "We should be looking to cut the top rate," he said. "Frankly, lower income earners often don't pay a whole lot of tax in this country".' They would be paying more tax if those opposite had won the election. Doesn't that just say everything? We are the party of lower income taxes, higher wages and less debt. They are the party of lower wages, higher taxes and bigger deficits. We are the party of responsible economic management, and they are a shambles.”
“It means about 50 bucks a week back in the pocket of the average worker. When the shadow Treasurer gives speeches about bracket creep he really ought to mention that those opposite voted against these income tax cuts. The Leader of the Opposition said she'd absolutely roll them back. They took a policy to the last election to raise income taxes on all 14 million tax-paying workers. That means that if they'd won the election and if they'd had their way, 14 million Australians would be paying more tax. Bracket creep would be worse. Average tax rates would be higher. Tax to GDP would be higher as well. But they still had bigger deficits and more debt. That's why it's so extraordinarily dishonest and hypocritical that the shadow Treasurer didn't mention any of these facts at the Press Club yesterday.”