Longman ReachTEL poll exclusive: Key electorate fires warning shot at Shorten

VOTERS in a key Queensland electorate have sent a clear message to Labor and Bill Shorten following his “captain’s call” over the company tax cuts. But they’re also gunning for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to do more ahead of a crucial by-election.

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ALMOST half of voters in the key electorate of Longman want company tax cuts extended to all businesses, according to exclusive polling conducted for The Courier-Mail.

It comes in a week Opposition leader Bill Shorten made a surprise “captain’s call”, that a Labor government would repeal the existing company tax cuts for businesses with a turnover of between $10 million and $50 million.

Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten says he will repeal the existing company tax cuts. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Longman is a small business hub, with about 40 companies of that size within its borders.

The ReachTEL polling, of 814 Longman residents on June 26, revealed 48.1 per cent of people surveyed supported extending company tax cuts to all businesses, while 51.9 per cent wanted it kept to businesses with a turnover of $50 million or less.

While Senator Pauline Hanson has been changing her position on company tax cuts, 66.9 per cent One Nation voters support extending the tax cuts to all companies.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull used question time today to jump on Mr Shorten’s promise to roll back company tax cuts.

“One small business after another will have their viability threatened and the jobs of their employees threatened by Labor seeking to jack up the taxes they are paying,” he said.

Mr Shorten yesterday said Labor would repeal the company tax cuts to at least companies with a $10 million turnover, potentially as low as $2 million.

“I don’t agree with Mr Turnbull that multinationals should get a tax cut, yet he is carrying out cuts to our hospitals and health care system,” he said.

High debt, wafer-thin projected surpluses and big business under siege means One Nation cannot support further cuts to company tax, despite strong support from its supporters in the key seat of Longman, according to Senator Pauline Hanson.

The ReachTEL polling of 814 voters in Longman revealed 66.9 per cent of One Nation voters supported cutting company tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent for all businesses, instead of only for businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million.

Senator Hanson said One Nation’s decision not to support the Government’s company tax cuts beyond company’s with a $50 million turnover had nothing to do with “support or lack of support in any one electorate.

“The Australian government owe in excess of $550 billion dollars, with no clear repayment plan and a budget based on overly optimistic assumptions,” she said.

“One Nation senators are the only members of parliament speaking out about repaying national debt, while Labor and the Coalition are only interested in racking up the nations credit card.

“How can I support the extension of tax rate cuts to big business when too many companies have lost community support and it’s unclear how these tax cuts can be funded given there’s no plan to replace the lost revenue.”

In March Senator Hanson agreed to back extending company tax cuts for all companies in exchange for a pilot program to employ 1000 apprentices, but last month withdrew her support.

It sparked the defections of her NSW Senator Brian Burston.

Senator Hanson has this week said there was “no way” she would pass the extended business tax cuts, saying they should be taken to the election, but that she was continuing to talk to the government.

For full details read tomorrow’s Courier-Mail.