16th Mar 2016, 3:20 PM – Representatives Motions - Turnbull Government - Suspend standing motions

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten to suspend standing orders.

Motion text

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Maribyrnong from moving the following motion forthwith—

That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) when the Prime Minister deposed the Member for Waringah, he promised new economic leadership for Australia;

(b) the Prime Minister promised a significant tax reform agenda; and

(c) the Turnbull Government has said the entire reason for its tax reform agenda was to deliver personal income tax cuts for Australians; and

(2) notes that in the chaotic six months since the Prime Minister deposed the Member for Warringah, the Turnbull Government has:

(a) floated and then shelved plans for an increased GST;

(b) floated and then shelved plans for dealing with what the Government described as the excesses in negative gearing;

(c) backflipped on superannuation tax concessions;

(d) attacked Labor’s responsible plan for tobacco excise but now plans to adopt some or all of it; and

(e) floated and then shelved personal income tax cuts for Australians;

(3) notes that the only policies the Government has kept on the table are extreme cuts, including from the 2014 Budget, including plans for $100,000 university degrees, cuts to family payments, cuts to pensions, cuts to Medicare, and cuts to schools and hospitals; and

(4) condemns the Government and the Prime Minister for failing to meet their own tests, including failing to:

(a) provide new economic leadership;

(b) respect the intelligence of the Australian people;

(c) deliver any tax reform; and

(d) deliver a stable and competent Government but instead leading a Government wracked by chaos and dysfunction.