Politicians avoiding me: Hanson
Pauline Hanson says Mathias Cormann doesn’t have ‘the guts to pick up the phone’ to ask for her support.
Key crossbench senator Pauline Hanson has lashed out at finance minister Mathias Cormann, saying he doesn’t have “the guts to pick up the phone” and ask her for her support in passing the Coalition’s promised tax cuts.
Speaking on Sky News’ Paul Murray Live on Wednesday night, Ms Hanson said she believed Liberal Party politicians were avoiding contact with her because “they knew they did the wrong thing” when preferencing One Nation below Labor on election material.
“I’m yet to hear from Mathias Cormann. I’ve had no phone call from him.
“He’s in negotiations with the Labor Party. Not me. I’m one of the crossbenchers.
“I don’t think he’s got the guts to pick up the phone and actually talk to me.
“And to turn around and say he’s negotiating with crossbenchers is not the truth because he’s not negotiating with me.
“But he hasn’t had the guts, neither has the prime minister, to actually talk to me or pick up the phone and discuss these issues with me.
“I’m not going away. I will be on the floor of parliament on the 2nd of July, so get used to it because I’m there for the next three years,” she said.
Ms Hanson said she will decide how to vote on the proposed tax cuts based on what she thinks “is right for the country, right for future generations”.
The comments come after Mathias Cormann this week said the coalition’s promised tax cuts were “a matter squarely for the Labor Party”.
Anthony Albanese is refusing to endorse the government’s $158 billion tax cut plan and is demanding to know how much of the tax relief in the third stage of Josh Frydenberg’s proposals will flow to workers with an income of more than $180,000.
Key crossbench senators from the Centre Alliance are holding discussions with the government about ensuring the tax measures are not “unaffordable” if the economy worsens.
The third stage of the tax cut plan, which flattens the tax structure by abolishing the 37 per cent tax bracket and lowers the 32.5 per cent tax rate to 30 per cent for all taxable incomes between $45,000 and $200,000, will be implemented in 2024 and will save taxpayers $95bn.
Additional Reporting: Michael Roddan
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