Jacqui Lambie holding out on Coalition’s $158b tax package
Senator Jacqui Lambie is holding out against the Coalition’s $158 billion tax cuts, saying she wants to protect battlers who are “doing it tough”.
Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie is holding out against the government’s $158 billion tax cuts, putting poverty on her agenda.
“There is no way in good conscience I can vote for substantial tax cuts without making sure that the people who so desperately need a roof over their heads aren’t left to go without,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Senator Lambie is the last holdout as the government seeks to win over four of the six crossbenchers to pass its tax plan.
She said she was yet to come to a final decision on the matter, which the government wants to pass on Thursday.
“People in Tassie are doing it tough and for them $1k in their back pocket now will give them some immediate relief,” she said.
“But there are thousands of Tasmanians who are on the pension, Newstart and don’t earn enough money to pay tax, and they don’t see any benefit from a tax cut.” However, indicating an area where she might be willing to trade, Senator Lambie said there were thousands of Tasmanians waiting for public housing while the commonwealth government continued to demand the state pay $157 million in social housing debt.
Senator Lambie, is still negotiating with both parties on whether to back Stage 3 of the package but believes Australians need hip-pocket relief.
Workers in rural and regional Australia were “doing it bloody tough,” she said arriving at Parliament House today.
“I would like to see these people get their tax cuts, certainly by the end of next week,” Senator Lambie said.
“I’m still talking about whether it’s Stage 1 and 2 we put through, I’m doing that with Labor and I’m doing that with Liberal, whether we hold off for Stage 3, I’m still sitting on that … but I certainly would like to see Stage 1 and 2 put through.”
Asked about whether the Coalition had put her in an impossible position of having to support the full package or nothing, Senator Lambie said: “No, not really mate, I’m watching it play out. You know what politics is like - it changes more than what you change your undies.”
Under Stage 3, 94 per cent of workers will get tax relief through the 32.5 per cent tax bracket dropping to 30 per cent in 2025.
Labor will not back Stage 3 at this stage given uncertainty over the economy, particularly after the RBA made its second interest rate cut in two months yesterday.
Senator Lambie said wanted a “safety procedure” if she was going to back Stage 3, saying: “They are five or six years away, that’s a bit worrying because we don’t know where the economy’s going.”
Debate on the tax cuts will begin in the Senate tomorrow after the full tax package passed the House of Representatives last night.
The government will need four crossbench votes to pass the bill if Labor doesn’t back it. Centre Alliance’s two senators and independent Cory Bernardi have indicated support.
Senator Lambie will be the deciding vote.
Originally published as Jacqui Lambie holding out on Coalition’s $158b tax package