Anthony Albanese drops tax cut hint at The Advertiser’s Building a Bigger, Better SA forurm

It was what the prime minister wouldn’t say that spoke volumes in Adelaide on Friday.

Australians may be in line for a new tax cut after the Prime Minister failed to rule out further relief ahead of the upcoming federal election.

At The Advertiser’s Building a Bigger, Better SA event at SkyCity casino on Friday, News Corp Australia columnist Samantha Maiden asked Anthony Albanese if he would “look at” tax cuts during the campaign, which would be implemented if he won another term?

The PM refused to rule out the idea.

“Well, I’m not here to announce election policy that would make the election campaign pretty boring,” he told the audience of business, politicians and community leaders.

The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese delivers a speech at the Building a Bigger, Better SA Forum. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

“I think that we’d have a tax cut to every taxpayer and my opponent (Opposition Leader Peter Dutton) said that we should have an election to stop them going forward.”

Under the revised stage three tax cuts, the Albanese government gave more tax elief to lower and middle income earners.

As a result, the tax cuts for higher income earners were not as generous as legislated under the former Morrison Liberal government.

During a separate question and answer session with Ms Maiden – News.com.au’s political editor – Mr Dutton argued the former Coalition government had legislated all three tax cut stages as he also left the door open for similar cost of living relief as he blasted Labor’s energy rebates as inflationary.

“So is our desire to reduce taxes and make a term fair and simpler? Of course it is,” he said.

But he warned the current government had poured an extra $350bn into the economy, which he argued had left interest rates higher for longer.

“In fact, the Reserve Bank still has concern about the government’s stimulus in the economy and what that could lead to in terms of future interest rate increase,” he said.

“So I think Australians, yes, welcome $77 a month for a $500,000 mortgage with a 25-point reduction.

“But they also know that if the government keeps spending, rates are going to go back up under a Labor returned government.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers earlier said he and other ministers were working towards handing down a March budget.

Asked in Perth if there was cost of living relief in the budget, he replied: “We made it clear that if we can do more on the cost of living in a responsible way, of course we consider that. “So, if you want a hint about the fourth budget under this government, it will be like the first three, very responsible, doing what we can to help people with the cost of living, if that’s affordable.”

Originally published as Anthony Albanese drops tax cut hint at The Advertiser’s Building a Bigger, Better SA forurm