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Scott Morrison hits back at Labor's 'tax grab to go' – politics live
Scott Morrison hits back at Labor's 'tax grab to go' – politics live
(35 minutes later)
Aspiration count: 10
Snake: 4
Arrogant: 2
Last week Penny Wong asked a question of the Senate president, Scott Ryan, after Alice Workman’s Buzzfeed story on the ETU member who was asked to turn her shirt inside out during a parliamentary tour.
Wong: There has been some media reporting online of an alleged incident involving a young apprentice visiting parliament house who was allegedly asked by a security guard to take off her shirt because it had a union logo on it. I appreciate you’ll need to make inquiries. I ask: is this policy of not allowing someone wearing a union logo T-shirt into the parliament approved by the Department of Parliamentary Services? Is it a policy endorsed by or known to the presiding officers?
Today, Ryan got back to her:
“I would like to respond to the question asked by Senator Wong in the chamber last Thursday, following reports in the media, relating to a member of the public being asked to remove or cover up clothing that displayed a union logo.
“All people entering parliament house are subject to security procedures and prohibited items are not to be brought into parliament house.
“Items that might cause danger to people or damage property, might be used to disrupt order or decorum, or compromise security arrangements must be cloaked before entry into parliament house.
“These items include weapons, aerosol or paint cans, laser pointers and obvious protest paraphernalia.
“Protest paraphernalia, including clothing with specific messages, if allowed into parliament house may, depending on the circumstances, have the effect of bringing the protest into parliament house and can be used to disrupt the order of the parliament.
“Operating policies and procedures No 10.5 notes if a person is found inside the building with a prohibited item, parliamentary security service staff ask that person to surrender that item.
“I am advised that on 19 June a protest organised by Unions ACT was conducted on the authorised assembly area within the parliamentary precinct.
“On 20 June I am advised a PSS officer noticed potential protest material or paraphernalia being taken into the building through the main front screening point by a small group. The PSS officer spoke to a pass-holder and the visitors who owned the material before contacting the team leader.
“One of the visitors was carrying a poster that was promptly passed to the pass-holder who accompanied the group.
“The clothing worn by the visitors displayed material related to the demonstration of the previous day.
“After speaking with the PSS officer, the team leader took into account these matters and made an assessment that their clothing was potentially protest paraphernalia. The clothing in question contained more than a small logo.
“Where a personal assessment is made that an item of clothing worn by a person may be protest paraphernalia, they are requested to cover it, change the item, or turn it inside out.
“The team leader approached the visitors and requested that clothing displaying protest material be covered, changed or turned inside out. The team leader suggested to the group that they could use the nearest bathrooms for changing purposes. After some discussion the visitors appeared to comply before leaving the area.
“I am advised the PSS team leader was asked if his decision was because their clothes displayed union logos.
“The team leader explained displaying a union logo was not the issue, the issue with the clothing was the slogans and images contained on the clothing.
“From the inquiries made as a result of this question and the media report, the department has determined that the manner in which the relevant security service team leader addressed this situation was professional and courteous.
“As is evident from the many union representatives that attend parliament house on a regular basis, there is no policy precluding access by association, nor does the policy prohibit the display of logos.
“Parliament house receives thousands of visitors each day.
“The parliamentary security service officers bear a significant responsibility for interpreting policies and making judgments ... which balance the right of people to access the building while ensuring that proper decorum is maintained.
“My advice is that this particular policy has been in place since January 2009 and it has not since been reviewed. All security policies are currently on a review program by the Department of Parliamentary Services which commenced last year.”
Labor is going to take a look at the claims in Ryan’s answer.
Malcolm Turnbull, who I think would be horrified to learn that Tveeder struggles to translate him at times because of how his words run together, does us all a solid and calls time on QT.
Fun fact: Tveeder can transcribe Tim Storer word perfectly, because he is just that methodical with how he speaks.
Be more like Tim Storer, parliament.
Never here, Paul Fletcher is here to save us from this drudgery!
Just joking.
He mentions the “latte line” and the “goats cheese circle” and now I just want another coffee and some cheese.
So, I guess it is not a total loss.
Susan Templeman to Malcolm Turnbull:
“The finance minister has said tax cuts for the top 20% of income earners would go ahead even if another GFC hits. Given gross debt under this minister has blown out to a record half $1tn and he has already made savage cuts, won’t this just mean that if a downturn hits, this government will again cut schools, Medicare and pensions?”
Turnbull:
“The honourable member should take to task the person who wrote that question for her, because it was very unfair to have her asking a question that is so misleading and so inaccurate.
“In fact, spending on hospitals is increasing substantially, and the minister for health just described the $30bn increase over the next five years agreement, and spending on schools is increasing every year because we have introduced the first truly national consistent needs-based commonwealth funding policy for schools. So I thank the honourable members for her question, but the premise of it was entirely wrong.
“We are able to keep funding for those essential services increasing because we have the budget under control, and at the same time, we could bring it back in to balance a year earlier, and at the same time, we are able to provide tax relief to hard-working Australian families and indeed for small and medium family businesses.
“The very businesses that the honourable member has many o fin her electorate, which will be hit hard by a Shorten Labor government.”
It goes on, but I cannot.
We are getting our daily dose of Greg Hunt, and I think the matrix may be broken, because I have seen this episode already.
Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull:
“The prime minister said earlier that the government’s [tax cuts] is funded by hard-working Australian families. Why is the prime minister taking $80bn from hard-working families and the services they rely on and giving it straight to big business?”
Turnbull:
“Mr Speaker, it is obvious that economics has joined aspiration and geography as mysteries to the deputy leader of the opposition. When governments reduce tax, whether it is personal income taxes as we have done last week, or business tax, as we did last year – and of course as the opposition is proposing to jack up business taxes again – when taxes are reduced, the government is not giving anything away. It is taxpayers’ money. It is taxpayers’ money the government is taking less of. The fact that the deputy leader of the opposition does not understand this speaks volumes for the contempt the Labor party holds Australians, hard-working Australians and businesses, large and small.”
Josh Frydenberg delivers another dixer straight to Tony Abbott on the Neg.
Josh Frydenberg delivers another dixer straight to Tony Abbott on the Neg.
Abbott looks very busy not listening.
Abbott looks very busy not listening.
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Yes or no, does the Prime Minister consider that the big banks deserve a $17 billion tax cut?”
“Yes or no, does the prime minister consider that the big banks deserve a $17bn tax cut?”
Look, we all know we are not going to get a yes or no answer here. It is physically impossible for the prime minister not to actually say a million words in his allotted time, when he feels he is on a roll. He has had his barrister strut on all afternoon. The papers have been gathered with flourish. The glasses have been on and off and the finger is in full pointing mode.
Look, we all know we are not going to get a yes or no answer here. It is physically impossible for the prime minister not to actually say a million words in his allotted time, when he feels he is on a roll. He has had his barrister strut on all afternoon. The papers have been gathered with flourish. The glasses have been on and off and the finger is in full pointing mode.
There is no way we are getting a yes or no answer here.
There is no way we are getting a yes or no answer here.
Update - shockingly, we do not get a yes or no answer here.
Update: shockingly, we do not get a yes or no answer here.
We do get Warren Snowdon serving sass levels not seen since my post-formal though, so there was that (he was almost named, but withdrew - and is just sinbinned for the normal time)
We do get Warren Snowdon serving sass levels not seen since my post-formal though, so there was that (he was almost named, but withdrew – and is just sinbinned for the normal time).
Peter Dutton seemed to trip over his dixer answer today. I guess its hard to combine the CFMEU basically being the mafia, with deaths at sea and strong border policies and keeping you safe and Labor is terrible every single day, without occasionally tripping over your script.
Peter Dutton seemed to trip over his dixer answer today. I guess its hard to combine the CFMEU basically being the mafia, with deaths at sea and strong border policies and keeping you safe and Labor is terrible every single day, without occasionally tripping over your script.
Catherine King to Malcolm Turnbull:
Catherine King to Malcolm Turnbull:
“By the time they are fully implemented, stage three of the personal income tax scheme and big business handout will cost at least $25 billion a year. Where is the money coming from? Won’t this mean even more cuts to schools, Medicare and pensions?”
“By the time they are fully implemented, stage three of the personal income tax scheme and big business handout will cost at least $25bn a year. Where is the money coming from? Won’t this mean even more cuts to schools, Medicare and pensions?”
Turnbull:
Turnbull:
“The deputy leader of the opposition is mystified by aspiration and the Member for Ballarat is mystified as to where the money comes from. I will let you know, it comes from hard-working Australians.
“The deputy leader of the opposition is mystified by aspiration and the member for Ballarat is mystified as to where the money comes from. I will let you know: it comes from hard-working Australians.
“It comes from Australian businesses making profits and paying tax! It is their energy, their enterprise, their aspiration, which drives the Australian economy. Nothing more clearly distinguishes the unreality, the disconnected, the out of touch nature of modern Labor, that they do not recognise that everything that we do here, every dollar we spend, comes from the efforts of hard-working Australian families.
“It comes from Australian businesses making profits and paying tax. It is their energy, their enterprise, their aspiration, which drives the Australian economy. Nothing more clearly distinguishes the unreality, the disconnected, the out of touch nature of modern Labor, that they do not recognise that everything that we do here, every dollar we spend, comes from the efforts of hard-working Australian families.
“That disconnectedness. It is their money. When we cut taxes,what we’re doing is enabling Australians to keep more of their money.
“That disconnectedness. It is their money. When we cut taxes, what we’re doing is enabling Australians to keep more of their money.
“Labor thinks it is them giving them a gift. It is not. It is hard-working Australians’ money.
“Labor thinks it is them giving them a gift. It is not. It is hard-working Australians’ money.
“We are able, because of good budget management, to pay for all those essential goods and services, including the ones Labor neglected, like those pharmaceutical benefits listings which were deferred in 2011 as Labor’s budget showed. Labor couldn’t fund the PBS and Labor neglected those services and we are funding them with increasing amounts every year. We are keeping our nation safe. As the minister has just described. We are doing that providing more tax relief to hard-working families and Australian businesses and bringing the budget back into balance a year earlier.
“We are able, because of good budget management, to pay for all those essential goods and services, including the ones Labor neglected, like those pharmaceutical benefits listings which were deferred in 2011 as Labor’s budget showed. Labor couldn’t fund the PBS and Labor neglected those services and we are funding them with increasing amounts every year. We are keeping our nation safe. As the minister has just described. We are doing that providing more tax relief to hard-working families and Australian businesses and bringing the budget back into balance a year earlier.
“That is the difference between a strong economic management under the Coalition and the debt, deficit, failure and disappointment of the Labor Party.”
“That is the difference between a strong economic management under the Coalition and the debt, deficit, failure and disappointment of the Labor party.”
God, take out Labor party and that last sentence just takes me back to family dinners.
God, take out Labor party and that last sentence just takes me back to family dinners.
Christopher Pyne is now talking drones.
Christopher Pyne is now talking drones.
The parliament holds it breath, it is just that excited. (Having already made a cup of tea, I am now considering going to get a biscuit, because come on. The press release has already been sent out. This is just punishment now.)
The parliament holds it breath, it is just that excited. (Having already made a cup of tea, I am now considering going to get a biscuit, because come on. The press release has already been sent out. This is just punishment now.)
Michael McCormack took a dixer, so I made a cup of tea.
Michael McCormack took a dixer, so I made a cup of tea.
Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison:
Chris Bowen to Scott Morrison:
This morning, the treasurer said about his big business tax cut, he said, I don’t consider tax relief a cost to the budget. Is the reason the tax cut is underfunded is because the treasurer believes he can conjure the money out of thin air? Isn’t it a fact that spending $80bn on a big business tax cut just means more cuts to Medicare, schools and the pension?”
This morning, the treasurer said about his big business tax cut, he said, I don’t consider tax relief a cost to the budget. Is the reason the tax cut is underfunded is because the treasurer believes he can conjure the money out of thin air? Isn’t it a fact that spending $80bn on a big business tax cut just means more cuts to Medicare, schools and the pension?”
Morrison (who has notes, so he obviously knew after what he said at the press conference this would come up, or at least his office did):
Morrison (who has notes, so he obviously knew after what he said at the press conference this would come up, or at least his office did):
“Reducing company tax promotes investment, creates jobs, drives growth. Who said that? Member for McMahon 2013. That snake charmer over there (he is immediately made to withdraw).
“Reducing company tax promotes investment, creates jobs, drives growth. Who said that? Member for McMahon 2013. That snake charmer over there (he is immediately made to withdraw).
He says some more things – or uses some other Labor quotes – but he is so excited and making so many loud noises, the transcription feed just cannot cope. And neither can I.
He says some more things – or uses some other Labor quotes – but he is so excited and making so many loud noises, the transcription feed just cannot cope. And neither can I.
Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Last year, the National Australia Bank made a net profit of about $5m, but cut 6,000 jobs. Why is the government trying to cut a deal with One Nation to reward the big banks with a $17bn handout? Why do his arrogant and out of touch policies always reward the top end of town while workers get punished?”
Scott Morrison takes it. He also has notes. He needs them for this:
“I was talking about the boa constrictor before, the one that suffocates and constricts the blood supply to the body as it defeats it.
“That is what Labor’s policy will do to our economy. There are plenty of other snaky characters. If you look at the king brown snake, it has the largest reported venom output of any snake in the world. Who’d that remind me of? The leader of the opposition.”
He’s stopped from going further by the Speaker.
Tony Smith: I don’t like the track he is going down. He is about to get bitten.
But there are more snake puns to come!
The snakes and ladders approach of tax policy that we have seen from the Labor party, saying to people that they reckon they will put them on the ladder of opportunity and the truth is they are just going to slide all the way to the bottom under Labor’s tax policy.”
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Why is the government negotiating to give big business a handout after the byelections? Don’t voters deserve to know the truth that this government is teaming up with One Nation to give the banks $17bn?”
Turnbull (he is very excited to answer this question. He has papers and everything to read from):
“The honourable member has asked me about the voters in Longman being entitled to hear the truth, and that is absolutely right. They are, they are, and they did not get the truth from the leader of the opposition on 22 June when he was on radio, and he was on radio and he said that, you could not get chemotherapy on Bribie, you had to go to Brisbane to get it, couldn’t get it anywhere near Caboolture, and a lady called Patsy called in.
“She rang into the radio program and she sought to correct the leader of the opposition. It is one of the most excruciating calls to listen to. The patronising way in which he talks over Patsy, cuts off, does not want to listen to her, and he says, he says, ‘Patsy, I can’t see why you are so frustrated,’ and Patsy, Mr Speaker, spoke for all Australians, certainly all the voters in Longman, when she said, ‘I’m frustrated because you’re not telling the truth, for God’s sake.’
“She called him out for one falsehood after another. Then he talked over the top of her at the hospital and he said in a rather patronising way, ‘Well, we disagree there, Patsy. You are entitled to your opinion.’ She said again, speaking for all Australians and everyone in Longman, ‘Are you serious?! I live here.’ I know, Mr Speaker. The fact is the leader of the opposition is misleading the people in Longman as he is misleading the people right around the country.
“Funding has increased. And even when Patsy, living there, living in Caboolture, calls up and seeks to get the facts straight, using the services of the hospital, the medical services, when she called up, this arrogant, out of touch leader of the opposition talks over the top of her and says rather grandly ...”
Tony Smith cuts off his oration and says that he said a little bit ago, he mentioned how he didn’t like the term “arrogant and out of touch” being used in questions, and that stands for answers as well.
Turnbull finishes with, “I say again, she spoke for all Australians when she said to the leader of the opposition: I am frustrated because you are not telling the truth, for god’s sake.”
Mark Butler to Josh Frydenberg:
“Is the prime minister aware that the energy council has called a new coal-fired power stations unaffordable and there is no reason to build them? Energy Australia has said coal-fired power is a solution my grandfather would have built.
“AGL said no private capital will invest and Origin has said it will be unlikely they would be investing in new coal. How on earth can the Prime Minister suggested twice today that coal-fired power might be around forever?”
Frydenberg:
“I haven’t had a question from the Member for Port Adelaide for 250 days, Mr Speaker. He lost his seat, he lost the presidency, now he has lost his relevance, Mr Speaker.
“The reality, Mr Speaker, as the Prime Minister said, is coal is a important part of our energy mix. The Member for Port Adelaide knows what happened in South Australia when the northern power station closed and the wholesale prices went up by more than 80%.
“The Member for Maribyrnong now turns his back because it was a labour government in Victoria that tripled the royalties on the coal-fired power stations of Victoria. Saw the closure of Hazelwood which also saw wholesale prices in Victoria going up 80%, MrSpeaker.
“And now it is up to the Labor Party to tell the workers that blue-collar workers in the mines and the power stations across the country that their policies will close them down. And put them out of a job. Will they go to the electorate and tell the 230 workers at the Gladstone power plants that under their policy they will be out of a job? Will they go to the election of Gippsland and tell the 500 workers at the power plant there that under the Labor Party’s emissions scheme, they will lose their job. And will they go to the Member for Shortland’s electorate and tell the 300 workers there that they will lose their job? Mr Speaker, when it comes to coal, we know that you cannot trust what the Labor Party says because the Member for Shortland is the Shadow Minister for climate change and energy and he proudly put on his website, he proudly put on his website about the Carmichael mine and I quote, “I welcomed the jobs it will provide in Queensland, Mr Speaker. Now, what do you think his website says it now?
“He has gone to the same school on websites as the member of Barton-went to. Now his website says the following. “I remain opposed to the Carmichael mine.
“So, the Labor Party, the Leader of the Opposition, he will go to the miners in Mackay and tell them he supports them. He will then go to the baristas at Batman and tell them that coal has no future. Don’t look at what Labor says, look at what Labor does. Only the Coalition can be trusted to deliver more affordable and reliable power.”
In her dixer, Kelly O’Dwyer keeps referring to a “cluster” of a decision by Labor and Bill Shorten, and I just can’t help thinking a word is missing there.
Did she mean cluster-daisy? Cluster-fudge? Cluster-fiddlesticks?
THESE ARE THE ANSWERS WE NEED!
Steve Ciobo lined up a whole dixer just for this pay-off
We have, of course, the member for Grayndler. Who, me? he says to the Sydney Morning Herald. We know that that member, Mr Speaker, has a different view. He sees himself as the new messiah of the Australian Labor party. He wants to lead them into the promised land. Like the Life of Brian on that side, Mr Speaker, like the Life of Brian, you have the opposition frantically ringing up the backbench saying, he is not the messiah, he is just a very naughty boy.
“Because we conceded, they are opening the gulf between the two of them. Of course, he claims he is not the messiah either but that immortal line from Monty Python, only the true messiah would deny his divinity. The fact is, we now see the splits opening up on Labor. He is going hard left and he is trying to be more centrist.”
Question: is there a time limit on when we will stop hearing Monty Python quoted by politicians and are we there yet?
Andrew Wilkie asks the independents question on whether Tasmanian businesses will be able to compete for government contracts, given the government’s preference to award contracts to national suppliers - many of who do not have a presence in Tasmania.
Malcolm Turnbull says the government has already looked at that:
The new Commonwealth procurement rules require that benefit the Australian economy be considered when assessing the value for money for tender system non- construction procurement above four million and construction procurement above 7.5 million. And potential suppliers to government will continue to be treated equitably and cannot be discriminated against based on their size, location or ownership.”
It goes from there to an attack on Labor for its commitment to repeal the company tax cuts, so it’s quite the journey.
Mark Butler to Malcolm Turnbull:
“Last month the security board repeated the consensus view that there would be no way that anybody would be financing a new coal-fired power generation plant and this was not contentious at a factual level.
“How can the Prime Minister today tell the Parliament that coal-fired power might be around forever? Is there anything this Prime Minister won’t do to stop the members for Warringah and Hughes from crossing the floor and undermining his government?”
Turnbull:
“I’m not quite sure what the honorable member believes qualifies him to have some sort of infallible crystal ball, but over the years I have found that predictions about technology are often mistaken, and so you are better off recognising...
(he pauses for interjections, which gives me the opportunity to ask a sidenote - does that also apply to the NBN)
Turnbull continues:
“The reality is that coal-fired power is a big part of our energy mix at the moment and will be at the part for a very long time and may very well be forever. We will find out in many years to come.
“The reality is, in the here and now, we need to have cheaper and more reliable power. The honorable member knows better than most that in his state that combination of left-wing Labor ideology, led by the now dismissed Labor government, dismissed by the people of South Australia, that combined with other incompetence resulted in his state having the most expensive and the least reliable electricity in Australia. We are delivering more reliable and more affordable power because we are working on it with the benefit of engineering and economics. I know they are strangers to the honorable member but believe me, they are the guides to a more affordable and reliable energy future for all Australians.”
Scott Morrison goes into ‘at-the-pub-over-a-pint-of-midstrenth-watching-the-Sharks-drop-the-ball-two-yards-from-the-try-line’ mode to answer his dixer.
Someone has got their mojo back, eh?
But it has done nothing to improve his analogies:
The leader of the Labor party, we used to have leaders who talked about the ladder of opportunity. Remember that? This Labor leader is all about the snake of envy. That is what he is about. Australians will slide down the totem pole under this Leader of the Opposition’s policies and the blood supply will be constricted by the boa constrictor over there. The boa constrictor suffocating the economy, cutting off the blood supply, Mr Speaker. That is what the Labor Party are all about. Higher taxes, cutting off the blood supply to our economy...”
He runs out of time, so we’ll never know if a mongoose or honey badger enters this story.
Tony Burke asks if Malcolm Turnbull could maybe make a “passing reference” to the question and Tony Smith says just so.
But we move on to a dixer.
Mike Kelly to Malcolm Turnbull (also on energy)
“The CEO of Snowy Hydro has stated that building new coal-fired power plants doesn’t stack up. The chief operating officer has said it will mean Snowy 2 is not viable. As the government is the sole shareholder, has advice being sought from Snowy Hydro about the impact of building g new coal-fired power plants on the viability of Snowy two?”
Turnbull:
I cannot be happy enough to answer a question about Snowy 2. What a great example of the vision of governments in the past, Labor and Coalition governments, and Snowy Hydro 2.0 is the next stage that is going to deliver thousands of jobs into the Eden-Monaro electorate, and it is going to provide a secure dispatch [of] power into the future.
“Now, the member referred to some remarks by Paul Broad. He is entitled to his opinion. He is entitled to his opinion, but we have a policy that is entirely technology agnostic. The national energy guarantee provides no disincentives for anyone to build a new coal-fired power station or refurbish an existing one any more than it provides a disincentive for people to build more gas or indeed to build more hydro.
“What it does is prioritise dispatch ability, which had been sadly missing from all of the Green left energy policies of the Labor party, and that of course supports thermal power.
“As far as Snowy Hydro 2.0 is concerned, I would remind the honourable member of this. Snowy Hydro 2.0 will be a big baseload customer of all providers of energy, generators, renewable, but including coal-fired power. A power station that runs 24 hours a day, like a coal-fired power station, does not have the same demand 24 hours of the day. A big pump hydro scheme will be buying power from coal-fired generators in the off-peak times and will provide that of peak baseload demand.
“So it is one that will provide support right across the industry, but the bottom line is let the market decide on which technology to determine, let the market decide what we are prioritising is affordability, reliability and meeting those emissions reductions targets. We can do all three, the Neg does it, it will bring down energy prices for the reasons that has been advanced, it will bring down energy prices and that will be good for families, businesses, large and small, and it will be great for Australian jobs.”
And Mike Bowers has just returned from his off-site job to bring you all of the excitement from the chamber, so huzzah!
Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull, and it is on the Neg.
“The environment minister said, ‘I would welcome a new coal-fired power station.’ Does the prime minister agree?”
Turnbull:
“Coal has a very important role and I have no doubt it will have, for many years to come, possibly forever. Who can tell? The reality is we have a [multi] technological approach to energy policy. The subsidies are coming to an end. The renewable energy target will be complete. In 2020, it will be all met. What we have the national energy guarantee for the first time, the combination of an ability to ensure that power is affordable, that it is reliable, that you have enough power to keep the lights on and that you meet the Paris commitments ...
“We are already seeing our energy policies working. Already we have seen the wholesale price of gas halved in the last 18 months. There was a massive shortage of gas on the east coast of Australia, created by the Labor party, created by a federal Labor government and the Queensland state Labor government that allowed gas to be exported from the east coast without any regard to the consequences. We have resolved that with additional gas supply.
“We are already seeing the wholesale cost of generation down 30% over the last year, and finally we are now starting to see a reduction in the cost of energy for mums and dads, small businesses, families, retail prices are starting to come down, among families and the small business. So we are turning the corner on energy costs driven up by the combination of left wing ideology and Labor incompetence.
“That is a very dangerous combination. That is what the Labor party brings to economics. We have heard in the leader of the opposition’s latest captain’s call, his latest attack to the member for Grayndler, the member for Grayndler went out and said they should be [open] to business.
“They say to thousands of family owned small and medium businesses of the country that if he is elected prime minister, he will jack up their tax. That is what he wants to do. He will put at risk millions of Australians jobs, so not only is he going to put up personal income tax, he is going to put up the tax of the businesses that employ more than half of the Australian private sector.”
