Stage 3 was designed to turbocharge inequality: Greens

2024-01-24

The Greens have said that given the Stage 3 tax cuts were designed to worsen economic inequality in Australia, Labor would have to make some pretty significant changes to make them actually help working people.

While there is still fervent speculation over what Labor could do with the Stage 3 tax cuts, the Greens say cost of living would be better addressed through funding public services.

Lines attributable to Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Acting Leader of the Australian Greens:
“We don’t know how Labor’s planning on changing the Stage 3 tax cuts for the rich, but we know there’s only so much you can do to dress up a policy that turbocharges inequality by design,” Senator Faruqi said.

“Rich people don’t need a tax cut. There’s better ways to deal with the cost of living crisis than giving politicians and billionaires $9000 every year and hoping it’ll trickle down.

“We’ve waited years for Labor to find some courage to stop these tax cuts for the rich, and now we’re still waiting to see whether their Stage 3.1 will still turbocharge inequality.  Politicians and billionaires simply don’t need any more money.

“If Labor stopped trying to dress up a stinker of a policy, and actually scrapped tax cuts for the rich entirely, they could invest that money in putting dental and mental health into Medicare, making childcare and education free, and freezing rent for two years until wages catch up.

“Scott Morrison is gone, and Labor should ensure his tax cuts for the wealthiest Australians go with him.”