Q: I want to come back to Michelle’s point about revenue raising or lack of restraint to get the budget back out of the red. I know you’ve ruled out a lot of things, but it’s a pretty known secret around Canberra that Treasury wants to go after trusts – it’s something that Labor looked at back in 2019 and there is support in your ranks for it in the past. Is it something that you would look at after the election in terms of the tax treatment of trusts?

Albanese:

What we’re looking at is what we’re putting forward at this election campaign. We want Australians to get lower income taxes – that’s what we’re looking at. And we have a comprehensive plan that we’re putting to the Australian people.

Q: What about making money?

Albanese:

Well, what we have done, also – I mean, you’re speaking to – there’s a Finance Minister and Treasurer just here who, two days ago, put out our fully costed plan. Where is the Coalition’s? We are now just three sleeps away from the election date – but, importantly as well, many millions of Australians – 1 in 4 – have probably voted already. Already, either through postals or in pre-poll. And people have no idea about what their cuts are.

And Peter Dutton, in the debates that have been held, has actually said and quoted John Howard as an example that you can’t actually come forward – it was in the Channel Nine debate, where you were part of the panel – you chose wisely [in your question] at that time, he said, “Oh, well, you can’t do anything because you don’t know the state of the books.” I mean, if I had have stood here at the last election and just … said, “Oh, we won’t tell you what cuts we’ll make. We won’t tell you how things add up. Just trust us – we’ll tell you after the election.” ..I would have had an interesting and appropriate response, I reckon.

And Peter Dutton deserves the same.