ABC host grills Liberals over huge call to oppose Labor’s tax cuts in Budget

Describing them as a “cruel hoax”, the Liberals have revealed they won’t be supporting the new tax cuts.

Peter Dutton has made a huge call on the new tax cuts that offer a modest $5-a-week extra from next year but costing the budget a whopping $17 billion.

Describing them as a “cruel hoax”, the Liberals have revealed they won’t be supporting the new tax cuts.

But the party are yet to reveal whether they plan to offer bigger and better tax cuts or no relief at all.

Speaking on 730 just minutes after Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down his fourth budget, opposition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor said the Liberals will not tick off on the tax cuts as outlined.

Opposition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor.

“This is a big-spending budget for the next five weeks, not for the next five years and what we see in it is a promise of 70 cents a day in a year’s time, which will do nothing to restore Australians’ standard of living,’’ Mr Taylor said.

“There are better structural fundamental solutions to the cost-of-living crisis. That is not what is being offered by Labor, and so we won’t support what they’re doing here.”

ABC host Sarah Ferguson then interjected, “You do not support the tax cuts?”

“No. Look, let’s be clear: They are a cruel hoax,’’ Mr Taylor said.

“They are not a genuine tax cut ... for a typical Australian family with a mortgage they are paying an extra $50,000 over what they expected.”

Speaking on 730, the Treasurer said if the Coalition had alternatives he should “come clean.”

“That’s the first we’ve heard. Sounds like they are not supporting our tax cuts.

“That’s what happened the last time we tried to give every taxpayer a tax cut, Peter Dutton said we should call an election.

ABC host Sarah Ferguson on 730.

“We’ve done this in a very responsible way. We are providing tax relief to every Australian taxpayer. If he doesn’t support that, he should say so.

“Angus Taylor’s colleagues don’t take him seriously. It is an absolute bin fire of inconsistency.”

Peter Dutton will outline his formal response to the budget on Thursday night with the Prime Minister tipped to call the election as soon as this weekend.

In a statement, Mr Taylor said the Liberals will not support the tax relief in parliament.

Mr Taylor said the Budget simply confirmed Australians are poorer after three years of the Albanese Labor Government.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

“On energy, under Labor’s renewables only energy plan, you are paying up to $1,300 more for power despite Mr Albanese promising you a $275 cut to your bills at the last election,’’ he said.

“This Budget confirms Labor has lifted spending by $425 billion – that’s around $40,000 of extra spending for every Australian household.

“Tonight’s Budget confirms there are deficits as far as the eye can see – and inflation is staying higher for longer under Labor.

“There are 41,000 new public servants under Labor in Canberra, at a time when services have not improved.

“Migration is still out of control. Over five years under Labor, there will be 1.8 million new migrants in our country, while Labor’s housing crisis escalates.

“Despite all their talk on housing, we know Labor will fall far short of their own housing targets, with not a single new additional home having been built under the Housing Australia Future Fund, the Help to Buy scheme, or the Build to Rent scheme. For families and first home buyers, housing has never been further out of reach under this government.”

Originally published as ABC host grills Liberals over huge call to oppose Labor’s tax cuts in Budget