Scrap tax cuts, keep crossbench staff: Greens lash Albo’s budget measures

Incoming Queensland Greens MPs have hit back at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s budget measures to cut crossbench staff, saying it would be better to scrap tax cuts for Australians earning more than $45,000.

Incoming Queensland Greens federal MPs have hit back at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s budget measures, saying scrapping tax cuts for Australians earning more than $45,000 was a better saving than cutting crossbench staff.

Newly elected federal MPs were in Canberra on Tuesday for “politician school”, including the three Greens who stormed to power on the back of lashback against both major parties in the seats of Brisbane, Ryan and Griffith.

New Greens MPs at politician school. Back row (from left) Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan), Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith) and Stephen Bates (Brisbane). Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Albanese recently slashed the number of advisers for crossbench MPs from four to one for a saving of about $4.5 million, with the Greens the latest group to lash out at the move.

Member for Griffith Max Chandler-Mather said they were working as a party on how to fight back against the cuts and whether there would be repercussions.

“The frustrating thing about this staffing debate is that Albanese went into this parliament being constructive, now he’s talking about needing to save on the budget,” he said.

“Well, if he wants to save on the budget then he should look at the stage three tax cuts that cost $224 billion over the next 10 years and give $9000 a pop to every politician in this place.

“That’s a much better place to start if we’re going to talk about funding for health and eduction and housing or action on climate change.”

Member for Ryan Elizabeth Watson-Brown said the staff cuts were a “rather interesting start to the relationship” between the Labor Government and the crossbench.

“The understanding was we would be collaborative,” she said.

“We need to negotiate the right outcomes for everyone because it’s really critical that we can service our communities and our electorates really well and that’s what this staffing issue is about.”

Queensland Greens Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith), Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan) and Stephen Bates (Brisbane) at Parliament House, Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Under stage three of the tax cuts plan, which begin from 2024, there will be one rate of tax for people earning from $45,000 and $200,000, with that rate dropping from 32.5c-in-the-dollar to 30c-in-the-dollar, while the 37c-in-the-dollar tax bracket to be abolished. 

It means someone earning $50,000 a year, such as a hospitality worker, would pay $125 more tax from 2024 if stage three is repealed, based on analysis of Budget data.

A teacher with a few years experience earning $80,000 a year would pay $875 more tax. A tradie taking home $100,000 a year would be paying $1960 more to the government each year.

While in Opposition, Labor had considered amending the stage three tax cuts focused on the “high end” of them, but it went on to endorse them in full.

At the time Mr Chalmers said the decision was made “weighing up a whole range of considerations”, while just prior to the election he said the party remained committed to them.