Opposition leader promoting new skills initiative in Maitland, NSW

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has visited a technical school to promote his new skills initiative where he was pressed by journalists on his plans for tax reform.

Transcript

00:00A skills masterclass for Peter Dutton at the Hunter Technical College here in the seat of Paterson,

00:06one of several in the Hunter Valley, that the Coalition believes it can win off Labor.

00:11And this is one of the few remaining technical colleges from the era of the Howard Government.

00:15Received government funding back then, cut by the Rudd Government, a Dutton Government would restore it.

00:21Peter Dutton toured the grounds, learning how to twist wires and turn in bolts,

00:25and then it turned to the press conference, the wash-up from last night's debate,

00:29and from an interview this morning in the Australian newspaper,

00:32where Peter Dutton said he had an aspiration to index tax brackets.

00:36Opening the door to tax reform with just a few days to go before voters head to the polls is a risky strategy,

00:41but Mr Dutton said he wanted to emulate John Howard.

00:44If you have a look at the Howard Government experience,

00:48John Howard wasn't redesigning the budget processes and departmental expenditure from opposition.

00:54You get into government, which is a responsible thing to do,

00:57when you listen to the agencies, you conduct a proper expenditure review committee process,

01:02which I've been a member of the ERC for many years in different governments,

01:06and we've had our own shadow ERC process for all of that time.

01:09The Howard Government, he said, pursued many of its tax reforms over time in government,

01:13without outlining them before its first election.

01:16But that leaves the door open to questions about exactly what Peter Dutton would do.

01:20Labor has spent most of the campaign drumming up a sense that the Coalition Government would pursue spending cuts.

01:24Peter Dutton adamant that there are no secret cuts,

01:27but this will put extra wind in Labor's sails to make that claim.

01:31But it's a two-sided fight.

01:32Peter Dutton seizing on comments from Jim Chalmers that he sought advice,

01:35but not modelling on negative gearing,

01:37to suggest that a Labor Government would pursue unexpected negative gearing changes.

01:42But again, look at what they're doing.

01:44The Prime Minister said last night,

01:45look down the barrel of the camera at the ABC,

01:48and said that we hadn't commissioned,

01:49the Government hadn't commissioned any work on abolishing negative gearing.

01:52That was not true.

01:54Jim Chalmers is a strong supporter, advocate and proponent for the abolition of negative gearing.

01:59This Government is proposing to tax an unrealised capital gain.

02:04Right?

02:04That's their policy.

02:06And their policy is to abolish the capital gains tax discount.

02:10That means rents go up.

02:12It means it's harder to own a home in this country.

02:15And it means that the Prime Minister, yet again,

02:17is being dishonest with the Australian public.

02:19The week began with a conversation about housing policy.

02:22As we head into the Easter weekend, it's tax reform dominating the agenda.

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