Here is how Sydney radio 2GB is selling the tax cuts:

“The Prime Minister is saying that Aussies will have to wait for those tiny tax cuts. You’re saying that the fuel changes will be effective immediately if you win.”

OK, so let’s look at this question Peter Dutton received. It’s the definition of ‘friendly’ media.

‘Tiny tax cuts’ – this is from the same organisation that tried to say that stage three tax cut changes – which distributed the cuts across all tax brackets, not just the top 10% was a “broken promise”. Now those tax cuts are flowing and people are seeing it in their pay cuts, there is no mention of that, only ‘tiny’ tax cuts in relation to the new legislated cuts.

Also not mentioned – the Coalition’s fuel excise policy is only in place for a year. One year. That’s it. It’s $6bn for one year and will only make the difference the Coalition is claiming (about $750 a year for one average family is their figure) if the geopolitical space doesn’t go to shit. Because the moment there is any sort of invasion, threat to oil, supply chain problem, then fuel goes up and those savings go down. That is exactly what happened when the Morrison government did it.

And the fuel excise comes in the year before the tax cuts – so it doesn’t make sense to say that it is ‘in place of’ in terms of the budget position. There is no money foregone on the new legislated tax cuts until after the fuel excise is FINISHED.

It’s about the same cost to the budget year on year anyway, which is why they are saying it’s only for a year. Because the $17bn figure for the tax cuts is for THREE years – so just under $6bn a year. $6bn over three years is $18bn. The Coalition has already said that $17bn over three years is irresponsible so…here we are. A one off fossil fuel subsidy and a promise to increase taxes.

But of course that is not how it’s framed.