Instead of locking in a spiral of economic inequality by green-lighting Scott Morrison’s flat tax system, the Labor Party should work with the Greens on a long-term plan to drive productivity and create sustainable jobs through investment in renewables and increasing Newstart, Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale said.
“By supporting these tax cuts the Labor Party are going to make inequality worse and do nothing to set the country up for the future,” Di Natale said.
“Now is not the time for more tax cuts. Now is the time for a massive investment in public services and infrastructure that will work for the wellbeing of everyone in the community, not just the wealthy few. Now is the time to raise Newstart, so that people can live with dignity, as well as giving a boost to our local economy.
“The Government’s tax cut program that Labor is thinking about bringing forward will turbocharge inequality and hamstring future governments from delivering public services down the track.
“The Reserve Bank has been begging the Government to invest in productive infrastructure for the country, but instead, the Liberal and Labor parties have got themselves into a bidding war over who can hand out the biggest tax cuts.
“Instead of getting stuck in a race to see who can give away the money we need to pay for our schools, roads and hospitals the quickest, Labor should join the Greens in pledging to increase Newstart and putting in place a managed transition away from dirty, polluting fossil fuels like coal and gas and towards a clean, green, jobs-rich renewable economy.”
