TRANSCRIPT - DOORSTOP INTERVIEW APH

TRANSCRIPT

DOORSTOP – PARLIAMENT HOUSE

7 MARCH 2023

E&OE

Subject/s: Interest rates, cost of living, franking credits

PAUL FLETCHER: We've seen 9 interest rates rises in a row, and all the commentators today are predicting a tenth interest rate rise. Australians are facing a cost of living crisis. We're already seeing reports from organisations like Food Bank and Lifeline that these interest rate rises. Putting increasing pressure on Australian families. Australian families are facing a cost of living crisis and we need to see a plan from this government to deal with it. Yet if you look at the legislation that's being debated in the Parliament they're not bringing forward detailed plans to deal with the cost of living crisis. We were called together just before Christmas in relation to what the Prime Minister said was going to be a plan to deal with energy price increases. But as yet, benefits from that have not been flowing to households, we're now told it has to wait until the budget the Prime Minister has failed to deliver on his promise. To reduce energy bills by $275. Instead, energy prices are going up. In Question Time yesterday we had several examples of Australian families, Australian businesses facing significant increases in energy bills. A cafe in Victoria's Energy Bills going up in by a couple of thousand dollars. Tomato growers and NSW pensioners on the North Coast of New South Wales and so this Prime Minister promised energy bills would go down by $275 and energy bills are going up. He promised cheaper mortgages. Mortgages are going up. There's a cost of living crisis, and this government does not have the time to deal it. 

QUESTION: Mr Fletcher, franking credits seem to be on the government's I guess, menu. What are your thoughts on that. 

FLETCHER: The Prime Minister before the election said that Labor would not be making changes to franking credits. That was, of course, in response to questions rightly asked because Labor took to the 2019 election a plan to dramatically attack franking credits. Now franking credits as the government's own briefings show, are important to superannuation funds are important for the retirement incomes of many Australians. Today the government is introducing legislation that will significantly impact franking credits, as the Shadow Treasurer, Angus Taylor, has highlighted. We saw last week the government announced a new tax on superannuation after saying before the election repeatedly that they did not have plans to introduce to introduce new taxes on superannuation. We also saw the Prime Minister before the election saying that they were not going to make changes to franking credits, now they're introducing changes to franking. We've been asking about in Parliament, pointing out in Parliament, Australians are increasingly saying this is a tricky Prime Minister, not delivering on his promises. He promised cheaper mortgages before the last election. We've now had nine consecutive interest rate rises, and commentators are predicting a tenth today. He promised that Australians would be better off. In fact, we've got a cost of living crisis, he promised. No new taxes on superannuation. Instead, what we've seen just last week is this government with some new tax on superannuation and he also said he had no plans to make changes to franking credits legislation being introduced today. Deal to impose restrictions on frequencies. Thank you. 

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