KIERAN GILBERT:
Welcome back to Newsday. Let's bring in the Assistant Treasurer, Stephen Jones. He joins me live in the studio. Big few days for the government, big few months ahead as you try and make the case for these revised tax cuts. It is a broken promise. But how is it being received in the electorate, in your view?
STEPHEN JONES:
Well, so far, Kieran, and we'll be out there every day for the rest of the year explaining what Australians are going to get. This is squarely focused on the needs of middle‑Australians who are doing it tough with cost‑of‑living increases; this is more money in their pocket, helping them with school expenses, cost‑of‑living expenses. Every Australian gets a tax cut, but those who need it most get the most.
GILBERT:
How would you describe middle‑Australia?
JONES:
I describe middle‑Australia as the sorts of people I come to Canberra to represent. They are earning somewhere between 45, $50,000 a year and $150,000 a year. They're working hard to ensure that they can pay the bills and look after their family and they aspire to a better future. They might be working in the caring industry, a childcare worker, a healthcare worker, might be part‑time; wouldn't mind doing a couple of extra days a week. And these new tax arrangements will ensure that they can afford to work a couple of extra days a week and take home more of what they earn.
GILBERT:
So it's up to 150 grand. I'm not saying you got to be held to that number precisely, but if you say on 170, 180 grand, it's obviously a lot better than the average, but still not the easiest of times right now with a lot of rate rises.
JONES:
Look, we want Australians to earn more money and that's what our wages policy is all about. By all right, we're not on about saying if you're on $151,000 a year, then you're on a huge wicket. But we are saying ‑
GILBERT:
Do those people feel dudded?
JONES:
No, they all get a tax cut, Kieran. They all get a tax cut. And in fact, the more you earn, the bigger the tax cut. But we want to ensure that those people who we know are doing it toughest have a bit of relief. And that's what the Prime Minister has been focused on. He spent a lot of time thinking about it over Christmas and brought forward at the beginning of this year a proposal which is aimed at the needs of middle‑Australia.
And I've got to say, pretty surprised with the response I've seen from the National Party this morning and elements of the Liberal party as well. They represent some of the poorest electorates in the country and what David Littleproud and the National Party are saying to their electorates: "You had all you're going to get, cost of living. Suck it up because we're not going to back tax cuts for you". And I think that's extraordinary. It's a poke in the eye for the people that they come to Canberra and represent.
GILBERT:
When you look at the issue of integrity, though, and the PM, you and the government campaigned in opposition to restore integrity into the system. Does this breach or broken promise, the backflip, however, you want to describe it, does that make things more difficult?
JONES:
Look, I think integrity means doing the right thing for the right reasons. And as the Prime Minister explained on this, he has made a decision about how we can use the powers and the opportunities available to us. We've managed the budget well; we want to continue to do that. How can we use that better budget position to ensure that we provide more relief to middle‑income earners? And we're doing that. Everyone gets a tax cut. Some are getting more relief than they were originally promised. And I think most Australians, particularly the ones I represent, will say, well, you promised me something and now you're promising me a little more. That's not bad.
GILBERT:
The Treasurer says that he is, and that the government, you and the whole team, that you can own these tax cuts now, as one of your colleagues at backbencher said, they'd never used it in their mail out materials to voters. But they will now, because they feel like they are proud of the changes. Is that how you see it? Do you feel like you've got rid of the Morrison era cut and now this is a Labor tax cut.
JONES:
This is a continuation of the focus of the Labor government. And I don't want to get into the politics of it – of it. I want to talk about the policy and the policy is about ensuring that middle‑Australia gets some relief, middle‑Australia gets more money in their pockets and that they have some certainty about what they're facing into. From 1 July, every Australian gets a tax cut. If you're asking me, are we going to spend as much time and energy as possible getting out there and explaining what we're doing and putting the wood on the opposition to back it in, you can be 100 per cent certain that we'll be doing that. And I call again on Peter Dutton, on Sussan Ley, on David Littleproud, do the right thing by those electorates, particularly the National Party. I can't see for the life of me why they aren't backing these, because the majority of their constituents get more money out of it.
GILBERT:
Stephen Jones. We'll talk to you soon.
JONES:
Good to be with you.