Hey John,
And a late Happy New Year to you.
When I voted for the Stage 3 Tax cut, in return for wiping Tasmania’s housing debt, I said that the government would have to see how the economy was doing in 2024. It was pretty clear to me by the beginning on 2023 that the Stage 3 tax cuts would need to scrapped, or they would need to be fixed.
My thinking was that they needed to be rejigged so that low and middle-income Australians would get the benefits.
There are lots of commentators accusing the government of breaking an election promise, and yes it’s not ideal BUT I think Governments should change course, or break a promise when it’s the best thing for our country.
But if the Prime Minister thinks that scrapping the stage 3 tax cuts will be enough to help those Australians struggling with the cost-of-living pressures, well he needs to think again.
Pensioners are doing it tough and so are young people. Families are struggling to pay their power bills, and we still have too many Australians without a roof over their heads.
I am looking forward to getting back to Canberra next week and talking to the Prime Minister about what more can be done for our most vulnerable Australians.
Listen to my thoughts on the radio here.