Bill Shorten accused of giving retirees ‘two fingered salute’
Labor leader Bill Shorten has been accused of giving retirees “a two fingered salute” by backing shadow treasurer Chris Bowen’s comments that they could always vote for someone else.
NSW
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Labor leader Bill Shorten has been accused of giving retirees “a two fingered salute” by backing shadow treasurer Chris Bowen’s comments that they could always vote for someone else.
Mr Bowen said the 84,000 NSW retirees who stand to lose money under Labor’s policy to axe refunds for share tax credits “are entitled to vote against us”.
Analysis has shown that retirees stand to lose up to $2700 a year from their pension plans under the opposition’s tax grab.
Yesterday Mr Shorten backed the would-be treasurer and said he was simply telling voters how Labor would raise revenue for health and education by cutting “unsustainable tax concessions”.
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“Chris was saying there is a choice in policies, and that is sensible. There is always a choice,” Mr Shorten said.
“I think it is appropriate that we shut down unsustainable tax concessions. Why are we the only country in the world who will let people claim an income tax refund when they have paid no income tax in that year? It is generous but it is not sustainable.”
Government analysis of Australian Taxation Office data shows nearly 8000 of those affected in NSW live in the marginal seats of Gilmore, Robertson and Page while 40,000 live in Labor-held seats.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the comments from Mr Bowen showed the arrogance of a party convinced it was going to win the next election.
“This is the arrogance. They so think they are going to win the next election. They so think it that they just don’t care,” the Prime Minister said on 2GB radio.
“And they will change it all. They will basically just give the two fingered salute to retirees right across the country and they just dare them,” he said.
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