Environment Minister Murray Watt has again been out defending the government’s budget this morning, accusing the Coalition and One Nation of opposing cost-of-living measures.
The federal government passed the first tranche of its budget measures through the lower house last week, which included a $250 Working Australian Tax Offset that won’t come into effect until July 2028.
The legislation also includes changes to capital gains tax discount and negative gearing, and a $1,000 instant tax deduction.
Labor needs the support of the Greens to pass the measures through the Senate, but the minor party hasn’t indicated whether it will support them.
Speaking to Channel Nine alongside Shadow Minister Ted O’Brien, the environment minister says the Coalition and One Nation have opposed the measures.
“The point I’m making is we understand things are still really tough for Australians at the moment and we need to do more. But every step we have taken to try to make life easier for people, the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation have joined up together to try and block that from happening,” Watt says.
O’Brien interjects and accuses Watt of making it “everyone else’s fault” except the government’s fault.