Newspoll: Voters shun Bill Shorten’s tax attack

MALCOLM Turnbull will try to pass both personal income and corporate tax cuts before five by-elections are held on July 28.

THE federal government will try to pass its personal income tax cuts and a massive cut to the corporate tax rate before July, setting up a test for both Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann today announced the government’s intention to put both tax packages before Parliament after a new poll showed a vast majority of voters supported corporate tax cuts and more than one-third believed they should begin immediately rather than be phased in over 10 years.

The government has yet to secure enough support to pass either the tax relief package, which begins with up to $530 a year back for low and middle-income earners, or the company tax cuts.

But Minister Cormann’s announcement today means half a million Australian voters will see how each party will vote on the tax packages before they go to the polls at five by-elections across the nation, likely to be held on July 28.

Senator Cormann has also ruled out only attempting to introduce a cut to the tax rate for companies with a turnover up to $500 million.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann today announced the government’s intention to put both tax packages before Parliament before July. Picture: AAP

The proposal, floated by crossbench Senator Derryn Hinch, would “be a barrier to growth,” he said.

“We are committed to securing the passage of a business tax cuts in full and we are very pleased to see that more and more Australians are strongly supportive of our efforts to secure the passage of those business tax cuts in full because people understand that if we continue to put businesses in Australia at a competitive disadvantage, we put them at a disadvantage,” he said.

Pauline Hanson today left the door open to changing her mind again on the company tax cuts, after the latest Newspoll showed 60 per cent of One Nation voters backed the policy.

The poll, conducted for The Australian, showed Labor’s endeavour to tie the government’s policy to recent banking scandals has been mostly dismissed by voters, with 63 per cent backing tax cuts for corporate Australia.

Even among Labor and Greens voters, more voters supported dropping the corporate rate from 30 per cent to 25 per cent either immediately or in line with the government’s 10-year phase in.

Bill Shorten racked up the longest run of negative satisfaction ratings for any opposition leader since records were first taken in 1985. Picture: AAP

According to The Australian, the strong support for corporate tax cuts comes as the government dropped back in the two-party-preferred vote.

But in a blow to Mr Shorten, he also scored the longest run of negative satisfaction ratings for any opposition leader since records were first taken in 1985.

And his leadership rival Anthony Albanese has pulled ahead as preferred Labor leader.

Mr Shorten today rejected suggestions he had “jumped the gun” on opposing the tax cuts.

“Let’s be clear, Mr Turnbull’s tax cuts are dead, buried and cremated. He is just too silly and arrogant to realise that,” he told reporters in Tasmania.

He added Australians cared more about health and education funding, saying: “I don’t need a poll to tell me a dumb idea when I see one.”

Mr Shorten told Labor’s Victorian state conference at the weekend that he would go hard over the issue in the lead-up to the “super Saturday” by-elections on July 28.

“I am damn sure Australians do not want to give a $17 billion tax cut to the big banks, which have been proven, have been demonstrated to be ripping off consumers,” he said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull extended his lead as the country’s preferred PM. Picture: AAP/Jeremy Ng

Currently, only businesses with turnovers of less than $50 million a year will get the corporate tax cuts.

If the government can pass its legislation, it will bring Australia’s corporate tax rate down to a globally competitive 25 per cent for all businesses.

The latest Newspoll also showed the ­Coalition dropping back a point to trail Labor 52-48 on a two-party-preferred basis, while losing a point in primary support to 38 per cent.

One Nation picked up two primary points.

Pauline Hanson’s One nation gained some ground in the latest Newspoll. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

The result brought an end to the ground the Coalition had made in recent months, ­having got as close 49-51 in the most recent two polls, including one directly after the May 8 ­budget.

Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull ­extended his dominance as the preferred prime minister, gaining a point to lead 47 per cent to 30 per cent over Mr Shorten, who fell behind a further two points to reach one of his lowest levels since the 2016 election.

Mr Shorten also trails Mr Albanese as preferred Labor leader, with 26 per cent of all voters preferring him to Mr Shorten’s 23 per cent.

It puts Mr Shorten equal to his deputy Tanya Plibersek, who also has the backing of 23 per cent of voters.

One Nation’s support rose from six per cent to eight per cent. The boost comes from a low base for the conservative minor party, however, which had had an increasing slide in popular support since last year.

This story was originally published in The Australian and is reprinted with permission.

Originally published as Newspoll: Voters shun Bill Shorten’s tax attack