Subjects: The Prime Minister’s shocking betrayal on the stage three tax cuts; the Prime Minister’s lack of leadership and credibility; Labor’s cost of living crisis; Australia Day; Cyclone Kirrily.
E&OE
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Well, broken promises, lies and a tax cut controversy. It’s safe to say it hasn’t been the smoothest of weeks for the PM. Anthony Albanese, who once declared ‘his word, was his bond’ putting his credibility on the line to give more tax cuts.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton joins us now from Queensland and Government Services Minister Bill Shorten in Melbourne. Good morning guys. Nice to see you this morning.
PETER DUTTON:
‘Morning Karl.
BILL SHORTEN:
‘Morning Karl.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Billy, first up for you, it’s not every week you lose the trust of the Australian people, huh?
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, it’s not every week that Australians, 13.6 million Australians get bigger, better tax cuts. So I think that this is a good decision. Cost of living has been hammering Australians, and after the January break, the Prime Minister has announced bigger tax cuts for millions of Australian taxpayers. So this is good news.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
You lost some skin this week, is the Prime Minister’s leadership terminal now?
BILL SHORTEN:
No, not at all.
This is about helping everyday Australians with their cost of living – middle Australia. The reality is, I’m down at Flemington racetrack this morning, just having a look at the horses in work and just about every person who works on this racetrack stands to make bigger, better tax cuts. That’s a good thing when it helps to pay the bills.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
So you’re not going to address the credibility and trust issues this morning?
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, I’m addressing the cost of living issue. I mean…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Okay. Peter, you’ve called the PM a liar…
BILL SHORTEN:
…for all of last year you guys all said ‘Labor’s got to do more on cost of living’, now we’re doing it and everyone’s crying. I don’t know.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
I mean, you could have said it earlier. Peter, you’ve called the PM a liar and you’re now demanding an early election. I don’t think that’s going to happen.
PETER DUTTON:
Well, I just think it’s just a major break of trust, it’s a betrayal, and the Prime Minister promised this on over 100 occasions. This is not just some throwaway comment that he made at a press conference, Karl. This is ‘my word is my bond’, and continued to repeat it.
It’s telling that Bill Shorten won’t defend the integrity of the Prime Minister, which is unbelievable in a sense. I just think most Australians don’t want a Prime Minister who looks them in the eye, tells them one thing, and then does completely the opposite.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Bill, why aren’t you defending the Prime Minister?
BILL SHORTEN:
I am defending the Prime Minister. I support this decision. I think he’s made the right call. Someone famous once said that when your information changes, your conclusions change.
The reality is that there’s a cost of living crisis for Australians, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is changing the plans to make sure we get better tax cuts to people. What’s Peter Dutton’s answers to a cost of living crisis? Have an election.
I mean, I think Peter Dutton just needs to answer: is he going to stand in the way of lower taxes for 11.6 million Australians or not?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright. So Peter, as potentially the Steven Bradbury of Aussie politics sweep into power at the next election, what changes will you bring to stage three tax cuts?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Karl, important to talk about stage one and two because stage one, two and three were introduced into law by the Coalition when we were in Government, and they were phased to be implemented. Phase one and two directly targeted at low and middle income earners. People are paying 27 per cent more tax under this Government from the first day that Mr Albanese was elected as Prime Minister. So we implemented those first two stages.
What we now know is that there is a huge black hole in the Government’s costings, and that there’s something like $28 billion worth of additional tax that’s going to be recovered from Australians, paid to the tax office, which didn’t make it into the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday. It completely undermines the argument that Bill just put, because we know that it’s not just 1.8 million people who are worse off under this package, but over the coming years, it’s going to be over 4 million Australians who are affected by it, because bracket creep is just this silent grabber of every dollar that you’re earning. So that’s what we tried to address through stage three.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
So what are you going to do? What are you going to do if you become PM?
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah.
PETER DUTTON:
Well, we want to we want to understand the black hole and understand the costings, which we’re doing right now. Then we’ll make our announcement. But we went to the election with a promise to the Australian people on stage three tax cuts. We don’t break our promise in a way that the Prime Minister has. We don’t desert Australians who we have promised an outcome. We think, at the moment, this is the latest example of Labor trashing the economy.
So, we’ll have a lot more to say about our tax policy, but we need to understand what it is the Prime Minister’s announced yesterday.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Bill?
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, let’s be very straight: 13.6 million Australians, everyone who goes to work, who pays taxes going to work, everyone’s getting a tax cut. The people who Peter Dutton’s complaining about, people like you Karl, myself and Peter, instead of getting a $9,000 pay cut, we’re going to get a $4,500 tax cut…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
I don’t care about that, but I do care about a promise being made and not being kept. Can you categorically this morning Bill – I know your word is your bond – can you rule out any other changes coming? Superannuation, death taxes, any changes to negative gearing?
BILL SHORTEN:
This is purely about providing 13.6 million taxpayers with lower taxes. I’m down at the racetrack – occasionally bets happen at a racetrack. Pete, I’m going to make a $10 bet with you that you will have to back in our lower taxes, otherwise the Liberal Party will be the Party of higher taxes for middle Australia.
So, you know you’re going to have to go with the better idea. I just think cut the pain out, Peter. Just back it in because 11.6 million Aussies who stand to get better than what the Liberals are proposing, want to know, ‘will Peter Dutton stand in the way of them getting a tax cut’?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Pete?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Bill, let’s go double or nothing and bet – let’s go 20 bucks, or let’s go $200 if you want – to bet that you’re going to challenge Anthony Albanese by the next election.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Oh big spender!
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh mate, do you know why you can go to 200 bucks, Peter? Because you’re getting a tax cut under Anthony Albanese.
PETER DUTTON:
You’ve already dispensed of Richard Marles. Where’s Richard? Where’s Richard gone? Where’s Richard Marles gone? What have you done with him? First one – the Deputy’s knocked off – the PM’s next.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Hey, a very, very quick…
BILL SHORTEN:
Don’t tell me you don’t want me to debate you, Peter. Do you want Richard back, Peter?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
It’s all good. It’s all good.
BILL SHORTEN:
I’ll pass on your best wishes.
PETER DUTTON:
Oh, please.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Hey, just before we go, really quickly. It is Australia Day. Really quickly, how will you be marking it, Bill?
BILL SHORTEN:
I’m going to a Rotary breakfast and then two citizenship ceremonies. It’s a busy day for MPs – not that anyone’s got an sympathy for us. It’s a good day.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
And then you’ll be off to the track.
Pete, to you?
PETER DUTTON:
Similar story, mate. The Rotary Club do a citizenship ceremony this morning, we have an awards ceremony for our local volunteers, barbie after that, and maybe a bit of mowing this afternoon. It’s been raining and sunshine here, but a really special thought for all of those in North Queensland…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
You are not mowing. Give me a break.
PETER DUTTON:
I am mowing. What are you talking about? Karlos, I’ll send you a photo.
BILL SHORTEN:
You’d be on the ride on.
PETER DUTTON:
I like nice straight lines.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Oh my goodness.
PETER DUTTON:
But, special thought for those in North Queensland this morning who are waking up to a lot of devastation…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Indeed. Indeed. Alright. Well said.
PETER DUTTON:
…so, not a good day for them.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
It isn’t.
Good on you guys. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
[ends]