Malcolm Turnbull says there will be ‘important changes to tax’

MALCOLM Turnbull has confirmed there will be “important changes to tax” as he continues to fight the tag of being a do-nothing prime minister.

PM Malcolm Turnbull

MALCOLM Turnbull has confirmed there will be “important changes to tax” as he continues to fight the tag of being a do-nothing prime minister.

In an interview with ABC this morning, Mr Turnbull was pressed on tax policy and whether there was still anything left to introduce, as changes to GST and negative gearing seem to have been ruled out.

“There will be important changes in terms of tax but you will have to wait until May 3 for the Budget,” Mr Turnbull hinted.

He also pointed to announcements later this month when asked when voters would be told about his policies on schools, health, university and other areas.

“A COAG meeting and meeting of the premiers and chief ministers of the territories on the 31st of this month and on the 1st of next month, and I will have more to say in the lead-up to that relating to health and schools and so forth,” he said.

Mr Turnbull also hit back at comments overnight from former prime minister Tony Abbott that his was seeking re-election on the Abbott government’s record. His potential double dissolution trigger — two pieces of industrial relations legislation — was introduced by the Abbott government.

“The Turnbull Government is seeking election fundamentally on the record of the Abbott government stopping the boats, finalising the free trade agreements, our strong national security policy,” Mr Abbott told SkyNews.

Mr Turnbull said people needed to remember that he was part of the Abbott government.

“There are many policies, including, for example, registered organisations and ABCC that I’ve had strong views about and contributed to,” he said.

“But the bottom line is there is continuity and there is change.

“There are many policies that have been announced and many initiatives that have been undertaken that were either not policies or not being pursued by Mr Abbott.”

He lists Senate voting reform, media law reform and his comprehensive innovation agenda as being examples of where his government differs from Mr Abbott’s.

“What I have is a very clear economic plan to ensure that we continue successfully to transition from an economy driven by mining and construction boom to one that is more diverse,” he said.

“Innovation is a big part of it, investment is a big part of it, ensuring that we have a construction sector where the rule of law prevails is also a big part of it.”

Originally published as Malcolm Turnbull says there will be ‘important changes to tax’