MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Dr GARLAND (Chisholm) (16:00): I'm really pleased to have the opportunity to speak on our government's economic record and the work we're doing to build a strong future for all Australians and to foster aspiration and give young people a fair go. We're reforming the tax system for workers, for businesses and for future generations, delivering a new round of tax cuts, including more tax cuts for every taxpayer from next week.
We're helping more Australians realise the dream of homeownership and supporting investment and innovation. We've got another round of permanent tax cuts with the $250 working Australians tax offset and a $1,000 instant tax deduction. That means every Australian worker, including every taxpayer in my electorate of Chisholm, will benefit from Labor's tax cuts.
Frankly, I'm a bit sick and tired of hearing those opposite talk our country down. I really can't believe some of the ridiculous statements we've heard in this debate so far. But those opposite quite simply seem absolutely incapable of participating in a sensible conversation about anything at this moment in history, which is pretty disgraceful.
Our reforms in this tax and economic space have three goals: to level the playing field and better align the tax treatment of income from work with income earned in other ways; to help more Australians recognise the dream of homeownership and get a toehold in the property market; and to improve productivity by encouraging innovation and investment. Our tax package is firmly pro aspiration, pro worker and pro investment.
Our reforms will build a better, fairer, simpler tax system by reducing the tax burden for over 13 million workers, supporting 75,000 more homeowners into the housing market, delivering over $3.8 billion in new measures that will lower taxes for businesses and startups, and reducing compliance costs by $540 million a year. Our budget has been all about tax relief and tax reform to make our economy work in the interests of all Australians, businesses and future generations.
This is also building on our reforms to date. Our focus on this area is not anything new. We've had three rounds of tax cuts.
We've made super fairer and more sustainable. We're making sure multinationals pay their fair share of tax, which I know is really important to people in my community in Chisholm. Those opposite tried to increase income taxes and now they're defending a status quo which punishes workers and locks far too many people out of housing.
Our reforms are about helping people—helping workers, helping first home buyers and helping businesses—so more Australians can earn more and keep more of what they earn, so that they can get into the housing market and get ahead, so they can put down roots in our community and so they can do the things that I think we as members of parliament all enjoy seeing people in our community do, like participating in the local footy club, sending their kids to local schools and supporting those local schools.
It is impossible for young people and young families to do that if we as a government don't support them here to put down roots in communities. This is really important for the future of this country. We know, of course, that Australians are facing real cost-of-living pressures because of the crisis in the Middle East.
This budget delivers more tax cuts despite that, delivering for workers, taking the sting out of petrol prices and helping people into a home. We're also funding public hospitals and cheaper medicines while backing higher wages. We're helping Australians.
We're helping people right across communities in this country, including in my community of Chisholm. As I said, we've cut income taxes already a number of times in different ways, which means about $3,000 more into the pockets of an average worker by 2028. We're also giving the ACCC more powers to crack down on price gouging, which I know, again, really matters to people in my community of Chisholm.
We're also cracking down on scammers and unfair trading. The package of reforms that our government has made is having an impact on people's lives in a positive way. It is disappointing that those opposite come here and use the MPI to inflame discord in community rather than support the people across Australia to have a better life.