It’s becoming more apparent everyday – Australians have a Liar in the Lodge. And that is Prime Minister – Anthony Albanese.
Anthony Albanese has kicked off 2024 in spectacular style – a complete, total and utter betrayal of Australians.
The Prime Minister and the Treasurer promised more than 100 times over since the election that they would deliver the important stage 3 tax cuts cost of living relief to families.
Labor deliberately misled the Australian people – time and time again.
The facts are clear: If you can’t trust Anthony Albanese to keep that promise, how can you trust anything he says ever again?
This is in fact more than a broken promise. It’s a treacherous betrayal and it is not like it is the first time. How can Australians ever again trust this man? Anthony Albanese was a Minister in the Rudd and Gillard Governments – he learnt weakness, dishonesty, and incompetence from them. And now the Australian public pay the price.
As recently as last Monday the Prime Minister told Australians there was no change to the stage 3 tax cuts. The Prime Minister was not even brave enough to own this decision – instead leaking it through the media.
Every Labor Minister, Senator and Member will now share the responsibility for breaking their solemn word. Every Labor Minster, Senator and Member will stand alongside Anthony Albanese displaying they were not telling the truth.
Labor can’t be trusted.
Labor wants to tax its way out of inflation, and it is Australian families, households and small businesses paying the price. This is the last thing aspiring families need to help them with the cost of living after 12 interest rate rises and the most entrenched inflation in the world.
Australians have been working for four years with the expectation that their tax relief, set in stone, would be rolled out in full no matter who is in government. Labor was crystal clear before the election – stage 3 tax cuts were legislated and wouldn’t be touched.
Australians have voted for these tax cuts twice. They were legislated by the Coalition when we were in government for a clear reason. The number of Australians in the top tax bracket has doubled in the 16 years since it was introduced. More than one million households are expected to be captured by it by 2030. Middle income earners have seen their effective tax rates increase significantly from 17, 10 and even five years ago.
But in Labor’s first 18 months, personal income tax has risen by a record 27%. Bracket creep, driven by rampant inflation, is the thief in the night. It is the tax increase Australians never voted for.
Now with this broken promise, many Australians will be hit with a double whammy.
This is class warfare, plain and simple. And no one has ever solved an inflation crisis by using class warfare.
The Coalition’s position is unambiguous on these stage three tax cuts: We support them. We legislated these tax cuts.
As Angus Taylor, the Shadow Treasurer said on 2GB when news broke of Labor breaking this promise:
“We’re not going to be part of a war on aspiration, we’re not going to be part of Albanese creating a new class war in this country. And we think the reality is if people work hard, have a go, take risks, invest and employ people, we should reward that and that’s what the stage three tax cuts were all about.”
The best way to deliver cost of living for all Australians is to lower inflation and the number one thing the Labor Government can do to get the cost of living under control is to rein in its spending.
A Liberal Government will rein in spending to reduce the pressure on inflation.
We would cut the number of public servants, which has increased by 10,000 in just the 18 months since Labor came to office, saving billions.
We would ensure spending is on your priorities, not things like a $450 million divisive referendum.
At the same time, we would also improve productivity, which will put downward pressure on prices and lift living standards for all Australians after they have been eroded by inflation under Labor’s cost of living crisis.
To do deliver higher productivity, we will:
We will bring down the price of energy by injecting more supply into the system, which will reduce costs for business and make it easier for them to scale operations to become more productive;
We will roll back Labor’s damaging industrial relations laws, which will make it harder and more expensive for businesses to employ people, and restrict the ability for employees to be rewarded for their effort and experience; and
We will deliver tax reform, returning bracket creep through the stage 3 tax cuts, and extending the Instant Asset Write Off to more small businesses this financial year to drive investment.
We will cut red tape and unnecessary duplication to drive productivity across key sectors in our economy.
Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Senator for Western Australia
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