“Is your word still your bond?” Anthony Albanese grilled over broken tax cut promise, reveals plans to fast-track legislation

PM Anthony Albanese insisted he was an “honest person” after being pressed three times if his “word was his bond” despite his broken promise on tax cuts.

Anthony Albanese has defended his broken promise on tax cuts insisting he is “an honest person” as he confirmed he wants the legislation passed before Easter.

The Prime Minister has told the ABC’s Insiders program he wants the new stage three tax cuts legislation to pass the parliament “as soon as possible” and he will provide the legislation to the Liberal Party on Sunday.

This will allow the Greens and Coalition party rooms to consider the legislation in their respective party rooms this week ahead of the formal introduction into Parliament on Tuesday.

The changes will double the tax cuts for average workers but slash the $9,000 a year tax cut for high income workers in half.

"Circumstances changed, David, over five years...I'm an honest person."

Is the Prime Minister's word still his "bond", as he said, after changing the government's position on stage 3 tax cuts?#Insiders#auspolpic.twitter.com/ixYArpaODb

— ABC News (@abcnews) February 3, 2024

Mr Albanese said this was vital to ensure there was an easy transition for “employers, the tax office, for others as well” ahead of the July 1 introduction.

“We want it passed during this session, which finishes up before Easter but the sooner the better,” he told the ABC’s Insiders.

“We can give consideration in the House of Representatives in the next two weeks and the Senate will return after a one-week break and consider the legislation.

“This is legislation which people see, which will give every taxpayer a tax cut and it should receive the support of every parliamentarian.”

Anthony Albanese was asked three times if it was still the case that his “word was his bond” while defending his broken promise on tax cuts. Picture: ABC News

During the interview, Anthony Albanese was asked three times if it was still the case that his “word was his bond” and why he didn’t take the proposed changes to the election.

“I’m an honest person. I am up-front,” Mr Albanese said.

“What I have done here is be very, very clear: I’ve listened to people who are all saying to me, ‘well, what are you doing about cost of living? What are the measures that you can put in place?’.”

When asked if he had ever liked the Coalition government’s stage three tax cuts, Mr Albanese said he had been “very upfront”.

“What we did in the parliament in 2019, is two things: one, we tried to amend our stage three tax cuts, we weren’t successful,” he said.

“We failed by just one vote. When that occurred, we thought that we weren’t prepared to stand in the way of all of the tax cuts, but we said at the time that it was a triumph of hope over experience.

“That’s for any government to say they knew what the economy would look like in five years’ time.”

Journalist David Speers grilled Albanese on ABC’s Insiders. Picture: ABC News

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has also declared he has no regrets over the decision insisting it was ‘worth’ breaking Labor’s election promise so he could help more Australians.

The Treasurer told The Courier Mail he was “sick and tired of people saying aspiration in Australia is limited to people who are already doing pretty well.”

He said average workers “work their a***s off’” to give their children a better life and that the tax changes would mean ‘there’s reward for effort right up and down the income scale’.

The Queenslander said he had reflected on how his nurse mother Carol worked night shifts to support their family and wanted to help workers like his mum.

“One of the reasons I wanted to represent them in the nation’s parliament is to back in the shift workers and the people on modest and middle incomes so when they work hard they get enough to provide for their loved ones and get ahead,” he said.

“It’s about doing more than just acknowledging people are under pressure and actually doing something about it.

“Unlike the old stage three, our plan provides tax cuts right up and down the income scale so that every taxpayer gets a tax cut to help with the costs of living.”