Ms CATHERINE KING (Ballarat—Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) (14:29):

I thank the member for Hunter for what is a great question. The Albanese government is, indeed, delivering tax cuts to Australians living in our regions, which is putting more money back into the pockets of regional Australians. In the member's own electorate of Hunter that means all 73,000 taxpayers in Hunter will receive, on average, a tax cut of $1,560 on 1 July. As of 1 July, it will be a good day for taxpayers in the member's electorate, but it will also be a good day for taxpayers across all of our regions. In Whitlam, we've got 73,000 taxpayers getting a tax cut, and 87 percent will be getting a bigger tax cut. In Lingiari, we've got 43,000 taxpayers getting a tax cut, and 86 per cent are getting a bigger tax cut under the Albanese Labor government's tax cuts. In the great electorate of Eden-Monaro, we've got 75,000 taxpayers getting a tax cut, and 85 per cent are getting a bigger tax cut. And in Flynn, 66,000 taxpayers are all getting a tax cut with 82 per cent getting a bigger tax cut. All across regional Australia and indeed across the nation there's more money going back into the pockets of workers under this government. We're delivering these tax cuts for every Australian to help with the cost of living. That relief is exactly what our tax cuts for middle Australia are designed to do, without putting pressure on inflation.

You might have thought that better tax cuts for middle Australia and better tax cuts for those who live in the regions would be something where there would be a unity ticket across the parliament. Unfortunately, not everyone shares our view. On this side of the House, we want to make sure that people earn more and get to keep more of what they earn. Those opposite, we know, want people to work longer for less. The Liberal Party, the Leader of the Opposition and the Nationals have made clear that they really do not want these tax cuts for middle Australia. I've been watching the debate in the parliament, and I've been listening closely to speaker after speaker on the opposition's side, and they really, really don't want to support this. You can hear that from their speeches and their contributions.

The Liberals and Nationals are so addicted to voting against cost-of-living relief in their own communities they voted against energy relief for working Australians, voted against cheaper child care, voted against cheaper medicines and voted against cheaper health care. They voted against any cost-of-living measure that this government has put in place, and those in regional Australia deserve much better than that.