QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Dr CHALMERS (Rankin—Treasurer) (14:13): A big thanks to the member for Bullwinkel for her great question and also for voting for tax cuts today, including for many of Australia's nurses, and the member for Bullwinkel was a nurse herself. This government and this week are all about higher wages and lower taxes for workers and a fair go for first home buyers. The legislation that we passed through the House today will cut taxes for more than 13 million Australian workers.

It will make tax time simpler for Australia's workers and it will help more first home buyers into housing. Our tax reforms are the most significant in more than a quarter of a century. They will help tens of thousands of Australians into homes.

These are the Australians who would otherwise have been locked out of housing if those opposite had had their way but will now be able to find and buy a home of their own, thanks to the legislation proudly supported by this side of the House. And the Working Australians Tax Offset is the most meaningful permanent increase to the effective tax-free threshold since Labor last increased it, more than a decade ago.

As I said, more than 13 million Australian workers will benefit. We're funding these tax cuts for workers through our reforms to make Australia's tax system fairer. That's why the four elements were presented in one bill today.

Because of this government, the average worker will be better off by up to $2,816 a year. If those opposite had their way, every one of those workers would be paying higher taxes. Today was a very big test for the coalition, and they failed it once again.

One of the reasons why there are fewer of them over there in this term of parliament than in the last term of parliament is because, in the last term of the parliament, they listened to the member for Hume when he told them all to vote against tax cuts. Today they have repeated the same mistake once again. They have voted against tax cuts before, and today they have voted against tax cuts once again.

This side of the House is proud to support the working people of this country. Those opposite voted against them. We are proud to support first home buyers in this country.

Those opposite voted against them. We take our intergenerational responsibilities to young people seriously, even if those opposite do not. This side of the House doesn't just acknowledge that there are issues in the housing market and in the tax system; we're prepared to take difficult decisions to address those challenges, not just try and benefit from them politically, like the three right-wing parties do.

Labor is delivering tax cuts. We're helping first home buyers into homes. Those opposite voted for higher taxes and to lock tens of thousands of Australians out of the housing market.

That's what the vote earlier today was all about.