MOTIONS

Senator McKIM (Tasmania—Australian Greens Whip) (12:18): The term 'widow's tax' has emerged in relatively recent times to characterise impacts of the tax package that has recently passed through this parliament on a cohort of Australians that is actually far broader than widows. I just want to make that point first, although I'm happy to refer to it as the widow's tax for the purposes of this conversation.

There is an emerging consensus in this chamber that those impacts that have become known as the widow's tax do need to be addressed. Certainly, the Australian Greens are of the view that these matters need to be looked at, and I look forward to that occurring in due course. I note the beseeching plea from members of the coalition for the Greens to support this motion, which seeks to suspend standing orders so that the Senate can more promptly consider those issues.

I want to be very clear that this motion is drafted in such a way that the Greens couldn't possibly support it, and members of the opposition know that full well. It's a bit rich for them to come into this place and ask us to support something that they drafted deliberately in such a way that they knew the Greens could never support it. There are a few examples of that, but the starkest example is provision (c), which calls on the Albanese government to immediately axe the very tax changes that were brought into this place and supported by the Greens, and which addressed the outrageous gift of the capital gains tax discount, which went, overwhelmingly, to some of the wealthiest, most privileged people in this country.

As if the Greens are going to support that position. So don't come in here and ask us to support a motion that you drafted so that we couldn't support it. That's what's going on here.

Everyone needs to be very clear about that. The changes to capital gains and negative gearing tax arrangements in Australia have delivered a long-overdue correction to the housing market in this country. Finally, wages are going to get a chance to catch up with the housing bubble.

Finally, young people have got a glimmer of hope that one day they might be able to afford a house and a home to live in in Australia. That is what the Greens' decades-long campaign against the capital gains tax has delivered: a housing market that, over time, now should become more affordable—a housing market that young people can dare to hope they might be able to get into one day.

That is a good thing. The correction in housing prices is a good thing. It has finally taken away one of the most generous tax concessions, overwhelmingly accessed by the richest and most privileged people in this country.

It has finally given young people and people who are not so advantaged economically hope that one day they might be able to afford to buy their own home to live in and access the great Australian dream of homeownership. Those are good things. The correction in the housing market is a good thing, and, here in the Greens, we are proud of the role that we played in delivering that.

For the opposition to come in here and ask us to support a motion that would put us in a position of winding back those benefits is simply ludicrous. You knew we couldn't support it. Please, by all means, draft whatever motions you like, but don't come in here and sanctimoniously ask us to support them when you actually drafted them so that we couldn't.