Wednesday, 3 June 2026

Transcript - Interview on Sky News, First edition

Topics: Federal budget, tax cuts, Liberal Party

E&OE...

Peter Stefanovic: Well, the Coalition will move three amendments to the government's controversial tax changes to avoid charges that it's voting against tax cuts. The government grouped its investor tax changes with the $250 working Australian tax offset into one bundle, but the Opposition wants them separated. Joining us live now is the Shadow Treasurer, Tim Wilson. Tim, so why move amendments when you know on this one you're going to lose?

Tim Wilson: Well, it's very important to send a clear message to the Australian community. One, that we're for lower taxes. Two, we don't believe in the cooked-up books that the way the government's presenting their budget, where they're offering a small or modest tax cut here in comparison to massive, giant tax increases they didn't take to the Australian community. And to give clarity and choice. We want our tax-back guarantee to make sure that inflation is not the silent thief of income tax. Labor wants to keep the silent thief off the leash.

Peter Stefanovic: Presumably, though, it's also readying your argument so you can respond to the government's likely charge that you voted against the tax cuts.

Tim Wilson: Well, the government, we can't control what the government says, but the government runs around and says, "Oh, you know, we've offered this tax cut and, you know, various people haven't voted for it." They ignore the fact that Jim Chalmers' active inflation agenda is going to wipe out that tax cut by year's end. We asked in Parliament yesterday what the modelling was of how long it would be before inflation took it out. He couldn't answer because he's not across the detail. This under-pressure Treasurer is in a lot of pain, and we're absolutely applying the screws to him.

Peter Stefanovic: Right, but you'll still be accused of voting against tax cuts. I mean, that's true, isn't it?

Tim Wilson: Well, they'll be voting against tax cuts too, because we're putting in our tax-back guarantee where we'll stop inflation overtaking income tax. And, of course, they're going to vote against it because they want to keep the silent thief of the night in tax off the leash.

Peter Stefanovic: The Morrison government wouldn't split the Stage 3 tax cut legislation. The Labor Party was wedged at the time when it was in Opposition, so is this just a form of revenge?

Tim Wilson: Not at all. It's a focus on, well our focus is on how we build out the future of Australia where Australians keep more money in their hit pocket. Where hard work pays off, people own their own money, they get to decide how to invest for their future. Believe it or not, some of us actually don't believe government is the answer. Some of us actually believe Australians and empowering them is the answer.

Peter Stefanovic: Yeah, but I'm saying that is this just a form of revenge from the Labor Party, because you wouldn't split the Stage 3 tax package several years ago?

Tim Wilson: Well, the difference is, anything we did, we took to the Australian community at an election. Labor took, didn't take its increases in taxes to the last election. In fact, quite the reverse. The Prime Minister said 50 times over they wouldn't be doing this before the last election. They then got elected, now legislating tax increases that nobody voted for. And we keep being told through our "notthetax.com.au" website about their stories.

Peter Stefanovic: What are the chances of success with these amendments, do you feel?

Tim Wilson: Well, unless members of the Labor Party go to their communities and actually do what they said they would do before the last election in the House of Representatives, it's slight. But, you know, we've seen Ed Husic out there today breaking ranks. We've seen Josh Wilson breaking ranks. There's now division across this government, there's leaking against the Treasurer and the Prime Minister, so anything could happen in the Labor Party Hunger Games.

Peter Stefanovic: Well, I mean, just on that, you might have seen Richard Marles with a strident defence of AUKUS last night. Are you satisfied with that, that AUKUS is still on track?

Tim Wilson: Well, it's not clear what's happening. The Defence Minister is out there quite justifiably acknowledging we're in the most dangerous geo-strategic and political environment since the Second World War. And he's got his own backbench, Ed Husic, and of course some of his frontbench, undermining his position and the government on AUKUS. They need to explain to Australians what's happening, when it's happening, and actually take them into their trust. I know they didn't do that on the tax changes, in the tax increases they put in their budget, but actually Australia's national security and defence really, really, really, really matters, as does the tax change, I might be clear. And maybe they should actually do this.

Peter Stefanovic: Our latest, elsewhere this morning, Tim, our latest Sky News pulse follows Redbridge earlier this week and has got One Nation out on top on its own now. How is this remaking the centre-right? How is that going to play out from here?

Tim Wilson: Well, the pathway for us to win is to make sure we're offering a blue-sky horizon of liberal hope. It's not simply to wallow in the orange paddock of despair. And so I don't think it's remaking anything. It's a challenge for us to do better, to provide a better vision for where we're going to build the future of Australia, where Australians feel like they live out their lives through the values and the policies we project. And that's what we're going to do.

Peter Stefanovic: In a bigger coalition, though, is your chance of beating Labor better?

Tim Wilson: Well, I, that's not my plan. My plan is to see a Liberal-led Coalition government with the National Party storm to victory, remove the worst government in Australian history, one that's built on a house of broken promises and lies. And what the orange paddock decides up to them.

Peter Stefanovic: So, still for now, it's a no for you in any type of coalition with One Nation.

Tim Wilson: Well, at the moment what I'm hearing, of course, from the leader of that party's mouth is that they want to go on to be Prime Minister. They want to wipe the Liberal Party out, they want to wipe the National Party out, and they want to give free rein to the Australian Labor Party and Anthony Albanese. I can't support an environment where not only the aim is to get rid of my party and the National Party, but to enhance the position of the Australian Labor Party, their reckless and dangerous taxes, which are going to knee-cap small businesses and young Australians alike.

Peter Stefanovic: Okay. Tim Wilson, we'll leave it there. Thanks for your time, though.

[ENDS]