Liberals concede tax cut stance a 'strategic mistake'

Yahoo

5 hours ago

The coalition's new finance spokesman has conceded campaigning against tax cuts was a significant error, promising to push for lower rates in the next term of parliament.
James Paterson said the coalition's position against Labor's two-part tax cuts, which would be a reduction of more than $500 a year from July 2027, had cost votes at the May election.
While a review of policies was being carried out after the election loss, Senator Paterson said lower taxes would be a significant part of the platform.
"We made a strategic mistake at the last election by opposing a tax cut and taking to the election repealing of that tax cut, and that's not a mistake we'll repeat," he told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.
"It's certainly in the Liberal Party's DNA to argue for and advocate for lower taxes whenever they can be afforded and whenever they are achievable."
It comes as the coalition has come out against Labor's policy to double the tax rate on superannuation balances above $3 million.
The tax rate would increase to 30 per cent in a bid to limit the number of people using their super balances for tax deductions, rather than their retirements.
Senator Paterson said the policy was a grab for revenue.
"We're never going to make that easier for the government, and we're fighting this because we're opposed to it in principle and we're proud to do so," he said.
The median super balance for 60 to 64-year-olds is roughly $200,000 for men and $150,000 for women, with the vast majority of retirees unlikely to feel the impact of Labor's proposal.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday said the changes would make the superannuation system fairer.
Opposition industrial relations spokesman Tim Wilson said the government had broken trust with voters on the proposal.
"Many people walked into the polling booth at the last election didn't think that the government was going to impose a new tax on unsold assets that was going progressively creep into the superannuation balances of millions of Australians," he told Sky News.