Question Time: budget worth fighting for changes dynamics

The dynamics changed in Question Time after the government finally revealed a budget plan it could fight for | VERDICT.

The dynamics changed in Question Time on Wednesday after the government finally revealed a budget plan it could fight for.

Political war

The government has had to fight off Labor taunts for months without having a public budget plan that could help it go on the offensive in Question Time. Now the plan is out but Bill Shorten is turning his sights elsewhere. The Opposition Leader’s first questions were to Malcolm Turnbull on housing affordability, in particular the Prime Minister’s suggestion to ABC radio host Jon Faine to help his children buy their first homes. Turnbull used this to blame Labor for waging a “political war on aspiration” in contrast to the Coalition’s belief in enterprise.

More on that story about Jon Faine’s question to Malcolm Turnbull is here.

Class war

Now that Labor has confirmed it would keep the deficit levy, Shorten tried to taunt Turnbull over tax cuts for the rich. Of course, the removal of the deficit levy next year is not a tax cut or a new measure, but Shorten used the point to try to put Turnbull on the spot. When Turnbull passed the question to Scott Morrison, Labor was quick to double-down on its personal potshot. The manager of Opposition business in the House, Tony Burke, questioned how the Treasurer could be better qualified to take the question. It was an unsubtle reference to Turnbull’s millionaire status. Morrison found the logical flaw in Labor’s position: it had voted for the end of the deficit levy in 2017 but had now changed its mind. Therefore, it could not be trusted on tax.

Moral crusades

The self-immolation of asylum-seekers in offshore detention has horrified MPs on all sides of politics but none have asked questions on the matter. Greens MP Adam Bandt stood to challenge government policy but overdid his question to Immigration Minister Peter. “Can’t we do better than this Labor-Liberal policy of not drowning but burning?” Bandt asked. That provoked Burke to ask the Speaker, Tony Smith, to get the last part of the question withdrawn because it was a slur on all MPs. Smith agreed and Bandt withdrew.

Tax war

Labor seems open to voting with the government on some of the budget changes to superannuation, but it is also pointing out that Morrison is making retrospective changes to the rules despite promising for months that he would not do so. The $1.6 million cap on balances — beyond which they incur earnings tax — changes the rules on savings built up over years, while the $500,000 cap on non-concessional contributions will be applied to contributions from 2007, almost a decade ago. Labor treasury spokesman Chris Bowen reminded Morrison of his “iron-clad rule” to avoid retrospective changes. Morrison insisted he “did no such thing” but it is a hard argument to make when retirees can see the ground shifting from under them.

The story on this is part of our budget blog today.

And the verdict: a show of strength from the government. Turnbull and Morrison now have an economic plan to fight for and went on the attack at every opportunity. Just as Turnbull says he is “quietly confident” of winning the election, his MPs seem confident as well, even if they do not yell as much as the Labor MPs opposite.