Shorten to ‘look at’ high-earner tax cuts

Bill Shorten says he will “look at’’ reducing taxes for workers earning $250,000.

Bill Shorten on the campaign trail at Gladstone on Queensland’s central coast yesterday with Labor’s candidate in Flynn, Zac Beers. Picture: AAP

Bill Shorten yesterday told a coal export terminal worker on Queensland’s central coast he would “look at” reducing taxes for workers earning $250,000.

The Opposition Leader made the pledge after he was confronted by the worker in Gladstone while promoting Labor’s industrial relations agenda.

The worker said many blue-collar employees at the terminal earned $250,000 a year through overtime and evening shifts.

“It would be good to see higher-wage income earners given a tax break,” the worker said.

Mr Shorten responded: “We’re going to look at that.”

Labor’s policy is to restore the deficit levy — and increase taxes — for workers earning more than $180,000 a year.

The pledge came as Mr Shorten’s campaign in regional Queensland came unstuck yesterday after one of his candidates claimed a Labor government may review the federal environmental approvals of the Adani coalmine.

Belinda Hassan, Mr Shorten’s candidate in the Mackay-based seat of Dawson, yesterday contradicted the Opposition Leader and said Labor may review the Morrison government’s approvals of the mine if “we get into government”.

Ms Hassan, who is attempting to defeat under-siege Liberal National Party MP George Christensen, was approached by The Australian at an event in Mackay about her previous comments suggesting a review of Adani’s groundwater management plan could be on the table. “I said they may be, it depends on whether we get into government,” Ms Hassan said, before leaving the sports club taking no further questions.

Earlier in the day, while campaigning in Gladstone, Mr Shorten said he had “no plans” to review the approvals but again failed to rule it out.

“I have no plans to review the approvals, but if we want to be fair dinkum let’s be fair dinkum and let’s tell the voters the truth,” Mr Shorten said.

“If I’m prime minister I will adhere to the law of the land. I’m not going to be intimidated or bullied by environmental activists or big mining companies.

“For me, it is all about the best science, the law of the land and not creating sovereign risk.” Resources Minister Matt Canavan, meanwhile, has attacked Labor for promising $14 million for a non-government agency that has been “at the forefront of the legal battle against Adani’s Carmichael mine for years”.

The Environmental Defenders Office, a green legal body, brags on its website about taking court action against Adani “numerous times”. It also says it is acting on behalf of the Australian Conservation Foundation in appealing against the environmental approvals ticked off by the Morrison government two days before the May 18 election was called.

“Bill Shorten can’t expect people to trust him when he says one thing to their face but then turns around to fund the activists who want to put up a stop sign for coal jobs,” Senator Canavan said.

A Labor spokeswoman said the party had merely promised to restore funding the Coalition cut when it won office.

“John Howard funded Environmental Defenders Offices, Labor is simply restoring the funding. Why is Scott Morrison against John Howard?” the spokeswoman said.

Mr Shorten declared he would not sign the CFMEU’s pledge calling for support of the coalmining industry and, in reference to the proposed Adani mine, for “coalmining developments that meet regulatory requirements”.

That puts Mr Shorten at odds with Labor’s candidate for Flynn, Zac Beers, who has signed the pledge, along with Ms Hassan and Capricornia candidate Russell Robertson.

Herbert MP Cathy O’Toole, whose ultra marginal seat takes in the city of Townsville, said she had been too focused on doing her job at a local level to feel any frustration over Mr Shorten’s failure to rule out a review of Adani’s environmental protections.

Ms O’Toole has signed a business pledge to support the mine but not the CFMEU pledge.

“I have not seen that (CFMEU) pledge so I cannot make any comment on that at all,” she said.