Jim Chalmers:
Today’s a really important day and a very big week for our economy. This government, and this week is, all about higher wages and lower taxes for workers and a fair go for first home buyers. The legislation before the parliament today will make it easier for first home buyers. It will cut taxes for more than 13 million Australian workers, and it will make tax time simpler. Today is a big test for the Coalition but we already know that they’ll fail it. They have voted against tax cuts before and today the Coalition will vote against tax cuts once again. Today, Labor will proudly be voting for another tax cut for Australian workers and the Coalition will be voting against it. Today, the Labor Party will be supporting a fair go for first home buyers, and once again, the Coalition will be voting for a broken status quo, which locks too many young Australians out of housing in this country.
We know, Australians are crying out for change in the housing market, in the economy, more broadly, and the Coalition and One Nation want things to stay exactly as they are. But this broken status quo is unfair to workers, and it’s unfair for first time buyers, and that’s why we’re taking decisive and difficult decisions to address these challenges, which have been part of our economy for too long. So, it’s a really important day today. Labor is for lower taxes for workers, the Coalition is for higher taxes for workers. Labor is for a fair go for first home buyers. The Coalition is against a fair go for first home buyers. You’ll see that in the parliament.
Journalist:
How concerned are you that the Greens may try to hold up this reform in the upper house? It sounds like they have concerns about your discretionary powers in the bill.
Chalmers:
Well, it’s not unusual for tax legislation to be conducted in this manner, with multiple bills, and for definitions to be settled in legislative instruments, which can be disallowed by the parliament. So this is standard practice for tax legislation. We’ve seen it under governments of both political persuasions. Obviously, we’re aware of the concerns that the Greens have raised, we’re in discussions with them. Nobody has the numbers in the Senate on their own, and so we’re in those discussions with the Greens. As I understand it, they intend to raise it at the Senate committee over the course of the next couple of weeks, and that’s appropriate as well. But this is standard practice for tax legislation. Unfortunately, it’s yet another beat up about these sensible, common sense tax reforms at the core of the Budget. It’s not unusual, as I said, for definitions to be settled this way, and the parliament can disallow them if they want to.
Journalist:
In terms of Trump’s proposed tariffs on Australia, are our forced labour laws strong enough?
Chalmers:
Well, we maintain the position that these tariffs are unwarranted, they’re unjustified, and they’re inconsistent with our free trade agreement with the US, and we’ve made that case repeatedly. Now, when it comes to the specifics of the modern slavery laws, we’ve got world-leading legislation in place already to combat the evils of modern slavery. This is the issue that the trade representative has raised. So we will continue to take every opportunity that we can to stand up for Australian exporters and to stand up for the workers and businesses in those industries, who would be right to consider these tariffs as unjustified, unwarranted, unnecessary, and inconsistent with our free trade agreement.
Journalist:
Finally, how confident are you that you can get these tax reforms through before the midwinter break?
Chalmers:
Well, it remains to be seen. That’s certainly our intention. But as I said, we don’t control the Senate. We engage in good faith, with the cross bench there, to pass legislation in the national interest. But before it gets to the Senate, there’s a really important test today for the Coalition. We already know that they will fail that test and they’ve failed this test before. You know, it beggars belief that having failed so spectacularly after they voted against tax cuts last time, they’re looking like making the same mistake once again. You know, they haven’t learned a thing and they haven’t changed a bit since the last time they voted against tax cuts and against housing. So, a really simple choice in the parliament today: Labor, lower taxes on workers, a fair go for first home buyers; the Coalition opposing both of those things. Thanks very much.