6 years ago
MATHIAS CLEARS UP PM’S WIBBLE WOBBLE ON COMPANY TAX
CHRIS BOWEN MP
This morning the Finance Minister confirmed that the Turnbull Government will take to the next election both its $65 billion tax cut for big business and higher income taxes for low and middle income earners.
In Question Time yesterday, the Prime Minister refused to provide a straight answer to simple questions from the Leader of the Opposition over whether he would commit to taking company tax cuts to the next election, repeatedly saying: “we are looking forward to our tax cuts being passed in this Parliament”.
But by this morning, Mathias Cormann had cleared up Malcolm Turnbull’s wibble wobble on tax:
KIERAN GILBERT: ...Will the Government commit to take it - the full corporate tax plan as proposed now to the next election and fight it then?
MATHIAS CORMANN: The Prime Minister didn't leave any wiggle room at all, we are completely and utterly committed to our business tax cuts they were very necessary at the last election and we took them to the last election. They'll be even more important at the time of the next election and as the Prime Minister indicated very clearly again last night, if the Senate were not to pass these very important business tax cuts - yes, of course, we'll fight for them at the next election.
GILBERT: Fight for them as proposed now?
CORMANN: Well, yes.
The Finance Minister then went on to defend the Government’s attack on low- and middle-income earners via the Medicare Levy increase that commences 1 July 2019.
The battlelines for the next election are becoming clearer – this out of touch Turnbull Government is promising a $65 billion company tax cut partly paid for by higher income taxes for low and middle income earners.
Bill Shorten and Labor oppose both the big business hand out and those tax rises at a time when working Australians are reeling from cost of living pressures and record low wages growth.
Bill Shorten and Labor oppose both the big business hand out and those tax rises at a time when working Australians are reeling from cost of living pressures and record low wages growth.