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| Has the Abbott government broken its election promises on taxes? | Has the Abbott government broken its election promises on taxes? |
| (4 months later) | |
| With the government increasingly certain to introduce a deficit levy in next week’s budget, the Coalition is fighting off accusations it will be breaking an election promise. | With the government increasingly certain to introduce a deficit levy in next week’s budget, the Coalition is fighting off accusations it will be breaking an election promise. |
| The prime minister insisted during last year’s election campaign that there would be no new taxes under a Coalition government, but has argued a deficit levy would not break that promise because it is temporary. | The prime minister insisted during last year’s election campaign that there would be no new taxes under a Coalition government, but has argued a deficit levy would not break that promise because it is temporary. |
| Tony Abbott opposed the 2011 flood levy, a temporary measure to pay for reconstruction after the Queensland floods. The carbon tax, which Abbott aggressively opposed and campaigned to abolish, is also technically a temporary measure, which is supposed to move to an emissions trading scheme with a floating price. | Tony Abbott opposed the 2011 flood levy, a temporary measure to pay for reconstruction after the Queensland floods. The carbon tax, which Abbott aggressively opposed and campaigned to abolish, is also technically a temporary measure, which is supposed to move to an emissions trading scheme with a floating price. |
| Abbott criticised taxes heavily as opposition leader but he argues because of the “budget emergency” the government is being forced to take action. | Abbott criticised taxes heavily as opposition leader but he argues because of the “budget emergency” the government is being forced to take action. |
| So what exactly has the Coalition said? | So what exactly has the Coalition said? |
| On whether a deficit levy is a broken promise: | On whether a deficit levy is a broken promise: |
| “We went to the last election promising to introduce a levy for paid parental leave [PPL] so claims that we said we would never introduce new taxes are just wrong. We actually went to the last election with a written policy saying we were introducing the 1.5% levy for PPL.”’ | “We went to the last election promising to introduce a levy for paid parental leave [PPL] so claims that we said we would never introduce new taxes are just wrong. We actually went to the last election with a written policy saying we were introducing the 1.5% levy for PPL.”’ |
| Joe Hockey, 8 May, 2014, in an interview with the Australian Financial Review | Joe Hockey, 8 May, 2014, in an interview with the Australian Financial Review |
| “I'm confident that this is a budget that keeps our commitments, but above all else I'm confident that this is a budget that's fair. That's what the Australian people elected us to do. They elected us to take tough but necessary decisions to address the debt and deficit disaster that Labor left us, but they want us to do it in ways that are fair.” | “I'm confident that this is a budget that keeps our commitments, but above all else I'm confident that this is a budget that's fair. That's what the Australian people elected us to do. They elected us to take tough but necessary decisions to address the debt and deficit disaster that Labor left us, but they want us to do it in ways that are fair.” |
| Tony Abbott, 7 May, 2014, doorstop | Tony Abbott, 7 May, 2014, doorstop |
| “I think if there was a permanent increase in taxation that would certainly be inconsistent with the sort of things that were said before the election. We want taxes going down, not going up, but when you're in a difficult position, sometimes there needs to be some short-term pain for some long-term gain.” | “I think if there was a permanent increase in taxation that would certainly be inconsistent with the sort of things that were said before the election. We want taxes going down, not going up, but when you're in a difficult position, sometimes there needs to be some short-term pain for some long-term gain.” |
| Tony Abbott in a 3AW interview, 29 April, 2014 | Tony Abbott in a 3AW interview, 29 April, 2014 |
| “I don’t see that there has been a case made for a debt levy and I would see it as a breach of a promise. It will have devastating impacts on the economy and people’s confidence. We went to the Australian people with the promise of being a government of no surprises.” | “I don’t see that there has been a case made for a debt levy and I would see it as a breach of a promise. It will have devastating impacts on the economy and people’s confidence. We went to the Australian people with the promise of being a government of no surprises.” |
| Government backbencher Teresa Gambaro on 8 May, 2014 | Government backbencher Teresa Gambaro on 8 May, 2014 |
| “The most fundamental commitment of all was to get Labor's debt and deficit disaster under control.” | “The most fundamental commitment of all was to get Labor's debt and deficit disaster under control.” |
| Tony Abbott, Sunrise, 5 May, 2014 | Tony Abbott, Sunrise, 5 May, 2014 |
| Statements before the September 2013 election | Statements before the September 2013 election |
| Mark Riley: “But aren’t you going to have to increase taxes yourself?” | Mark Riley: “But aren’t you going to have to increase taxes yourself?” |
| Abbott: “No. We are going to get government spending under control.” | Abbott: “No. We are going to get government spending under control.” |
| Seven News, 4 August, 2013 | |
| “What you’ll get under us are tax cuts without new taxes.” | “What you’ll get under us are tax cuts without new taxes.” |
| Tony Abbott, doorstop,14 March, 2012 | Tony Abbott, doorstop,14 March, 2012 |
| “I say to this prime minister there should be no new tax collection without an election. That's what this prime minister should do. If this prime minister trusts in the democratic process, if this prime minister trusts her own judgment, trusts her own argument, that is what she should be doing. She should be taking this to the people. Mr Speaker, the whole point of this tax is to change the way every single Australian lives and works. That's another reason why this should be taken to the people.” | “I say to this prime minister there should be no new tax collection without an election. That's what this prime minister should do. If this prime minister trusts in the democratic process, if this prime minister trusts her own judgment, trusts her own argument, that is what she should be doing. She should be taking this to the people. Mr Speaker, the whole point of this tax is to change the way every single Australian lives and works. That's another reason why this should be taken to the people.” |
| Tony Abbott, 2011, speech to parliament on the clean energy bill | Tony Abbott, 2011, speech to parliament on the clean energy bill |
| "It is an absolute principle of democracy that governments should not and must not say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards. Nothing could be more calculated to bring our democracy into disrepute and alienate the citizenry of Australia from their government than if governments were to establish by precedent that they could say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards." | "It is an absolute principle of democracy that governments should not and must not say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards. Nothing could be more calculated to bring our democracy into disrepute and alienate the citizenry of Australia from their government than if governments were to establish by precedent that they could say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards." |
| Tony Abbott in parliament debating the carbon tax plebiscite bill 2011 in August 2011 | Tony Abbott in parliament debating the carbon tax plebiscite bill 2011 in August 2011 |
| “Let me be very clear, the objective of the Coalition, over time, is to reduce the overall tax burden on business and taxpayers, not to increase it. This will be the guiding principle of any reforms we seek a mandate to implement.” | “Let me be very clear, the objective of the Coalition, over time, is to reduce the overall tax burden on business and taxpayers, not to increase it. This will be the guiding principle of any reforms we seek a mandate to implement.” |
| Joe Hockey, address to the National Press Club in May 2013 | Joe Hockey, address to the National Press Club in May 2013 |
| Statements when Labor introduced the Queensland flood levy in 2011 | Statements when Labor introduced the Queensland flood levy in 2011 |
| “The last thing we need is yet another new tax. There is fat in the budget, the prime minister knows it, everyone who’s seen the waste from this government knows it.” | “The last thing we need is yet another new tax. There is fat in the budget, the prime minister knows it, everyone who’s seen the waste from this government knows it.” |
| Tony Abbott, January 2011 press conference in Queensland | Tony Abbott, January 2011 press conference in Queensland |
| “This is a government whose first instinct when it sees a problem is to reach for a tax. Now, the problem is that people have had enough. People don't trust this government to exercise responsible stewardship of the taxpayer dollar. If we didn't have the waste, if we didn't have the mismanagement, if we didn't have the constant evidence of recklessness with taxpayers' dollars, it might be different, but plainly there's fat in the budget.” | “This is a government whose first instinct when it sees a problem is to reach for a tax. Now, the problem is that people have had enough. People don't trust this government to exercise responsible stewardship of the taxpayer dollar. If we didn't have the waste, if we didn't have the mismanagement, if we didn't have the constant evidence of recklessness with taxpayers' dollars, it might be different, but plainly there's fat in the budget.” |
| Tony Abbott, January 2011, at the same press conference | Tony Abbott, January 2011, at the same press conference |
| "Why should the Australian people be hit with a levy to meet expenses which a competent, adult, prudent government should be able to cover from the ordinary revenues of government? … The one thing people will never have to suffer under a Coalition government is an unnecessary new tax, a tax that could easily be replaced by savings found from the budget.” | "Why should the Australian people be hit with a levy to meet expenses which a competent, adult, prudent government should be able to cover from the ordinary revenues of government? … The one thing people will never have to suffer under a Coalition government is an unnecessary new tax, a tax that could easily be replaced by savings found from the budget.” |
| Tony Abbott, flood levy debate, 2011 | Tony Abbott, flood levy debate, 2011 |
| “We think that government should live within its means; members opposite think that government should put its hand deeper and deeper into the people’s pockets. This is not the way to go.” | “We think that government should live within its means; members opposite think that government should put its hand deeper and deeper into the people’s pockets. This is not the way to go.” |
| Tony Abbott in parliament, the second reading of the flood levy bill, 2011 | Tony Abbott in parliament, the second reading of the flood levy bill, 2011 |
| “This is a dumb idea on the back of increases in fruit and vegetable prices, rising interest rates, a carbon tax and a mining tax. It will indirectly affect everyone because there will be less money and less spending in the community, whether people have to pay it or not. This is going to hit people who are struggling.” | “This is a dumb idea on the back of increases in fruit and vegetable prices, rising interest rates, a carbon tax and a mining tax. It will indirectly affect everyone because there will be less money and less spending in the community, whether people have to pay it or not. This is going to hit people who are struggling.” |
| Joe Hockey, January 2010 | Joe Hockey, January 2010 |
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