Angus Taylor has his serious face on!

The Treasurer has said, quote, “The reason why we support fuel excise relief, we want to see people under less pressure at the bowser. Nothing could make me happier than if there was some pressure taken off families who are doing it tough.” Why is the Treasurer now refusing to cut the full excise to provide immediate relief to cash-strapped Australian families?

Jim Chalmers:

Mr Speaker, the first point that I would make is if the Shadow Treasurer cared about the cost of living, he wouldn’t be the first Shadow Treasurer in living memory to take to an election a policy to increase income taxes on every single Australian taxpayer. (INTERJECTIONS) That’s the first and most obvious point, Mr Speaker. Now, in relation to petrol – in relation to petrol, what we did on Tuesday night from this Despatch Box is we found a way to give ongoing cost-of-living relief… (INTERJECTIONS) ..to every Australian taxpayer. The combination of cost-of-living relief whether it’s cheaper medicines, cutting student debt, strengthening Medicare, tax cuts, energy bill relief, a combination of temporary and permanent ongoing cost-of-living relief in the budget that we handed down on Tuesday night, Mr Speaker. Now, he asked me about comments from before – just before the last election.

Chalmers then goes through how much petrol prices were under Morrison and how much they are now:

That’s a very welcome opportunity, Mr Speaker, to tell the House that when the – during the week of the last budget of those opposite, on the eve of the last election, petrol prices in Sydney were $2.15 a litre, they’re now $1.95 a litre. Petrol prices in Canberra… Petrol prices in Canberra, $2.08 before the last election, $1.92 now. $2.15 before the last election, $1.70. $2.17 in Brisbane before the last election, 1.93 now. $2.18 in Adelaide before the last election, $1.82 now. $2.0 3 before the last election in Perth. $1. 75 now. $2 in Darwin before the last election, $1.81. $2.23 in Hobart before the last election. $1.82 now according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum weekly price report, Mr Speaker.

Now, we have found a much more effective way to help Australians..with the cost of living, and the key difference between our cost-of-living package and what those opposite have come up with the back of the coaster in the last couple of days, Mr Speaker, is we will provide ongoing cost-of-living help to every Australian taxpayer and not only do they oppose that, Mr Speaker, not only do they vote against that in the House and in the Senate yesterday, Mr Speaker, but quite bizarrely, unusually in hist tore call terms, the Shadow Treasurer was asked this morning – will he legislate to increase taxes on all 14 million Australian taxpayers, and he said, “Absolutely”, he would.

As the Prime Minister has pointed out, the between this side and that side, Prime Minister asked would he increase the minimum wage, he said absolutely. Those opposite asked will they jack up taxes for every working taxpayer in this country and they said absolutely and that goes right to the difference.