MATTERS OF URGENCY
Senator CASH (Western Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (15:48): I move: That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency: The Albanese Labor Government's decision to impose toxic tax changes that can punish widows, divorcees and victims of domestic violence, despite being warned of the consequences, and the need to axe these taxes.
The question the Australian people are currently faced with is: what kind of Prime Minister legislates a tax that hurts widows—in other words, people who have lost their husbands—divorcees and, I think almost worse than that, women escaping domestic violence. Sadly for the Australian people, the name of that prime minister is Anthony Albanese. Quite frankly, Labor—the Albanese Labor government—were clearly warned by the Senate and others prior to this legislation going through, and they still rushed it through the parliament.
They still forced a vote in the parliament. Of course the Australian Greens were there every step of the way. And what did they do?
They actually legislated, as I said, a tax that hurts widows, divorcees and women escaping domestic violence. Sadly, this is no longer an abstract debate about some disastrous tax policy. This is about the Albanese government, those opposite, deliberately voting for a tax that is imposed upon Australians at the most vulnerable time in their lives.
A woman whose husband has died will be taxed more by the Albanese government. A woman leaving a relationship, a woman getting a divorce, will be taxed more now by the Albanese government. A woman trying to escape domestic violence, separate her finances and rebuild her life with her kids—that's the real-life example that is now all over the newspapers—has been taxed more by the Albanese government.
That is just sick. But there's worse. You've got to ask yourself: how did the Prime Minister of Australia allow this to happen?
How did a Labor government that, along with the Australian Greens, never, ever stops lecturing Australians about fairness, compassion and standing up for the most vulnerable in society—how in God's name do they then legislate a tax that affects the most vulnerable in society: widows, those escaping domestic violence, divorcees. I've got to say to those on the other side, to the Labor women, and even the Greens down there, who also like to pontificate, how did the self-proclaimed 'party of women' legislate a tax that creates another financial obstacle for women who are escaping domestic violence?
That is just sick, quite frankly, which now appears to be the hallmark of the Albanese government. What's worse is that Mr Albanese and the Labor Party were warned. Concerns were raised about the impact of these laws and what they could mean for property ownership changes because of death, divorce and family breakdown.
The government knew that there were problems, but what did the Prime Minister do? He legislated those problems anyway. Worse, they pushed those laws through, and Labor senators voted for them.
I would have thought that we'd return to the parliament today—particularly now that there is a woman who has been affected directly by these taxes—and they'd at least have the decency to legislate that change. Get rid of the tax on the widows. Get rid of the tax on the divorcees.
Get rid of the tax on, in particular, women who are escaping domestic violence with their children. Instead, when we raised it earlier today, they had the audacity to sneer at us. You should be ashamed of that.
Where's your Minister for Women? Senator Gallagher is always out there saying what a great job she's doing—seriously, legislating a tax on these people? Where's Senator Wong?
She's another one who likes to pontificate. Yet again—Senator Wong, you voted for this tax on women. It is a disgrace.
Let me tell you right now, if you don't abolish it, the coalition will.