Abbott’s secret plan will cost families

Tony Abbott’s secret plan for Northern Australia will cost ordinary Australian families, who will be made to pay for his plans to shift people up north.

Mr Abbott’s proposal to slug Australian families for the price of his secret plan comes on top of his promise to rip away the Gillard Government’s Schoolkids bonus, and to rip away tax cuts and payment increases for families.

By proposing tax breaks for people who move to Northern Australia, Mr Abbott is actually proposing a new tax on every other Australian family.

Families in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth will all have to pay more at tax-time.

Mr Abbott has already pledged to slash the Schoolkids Bonus and claw back tax cuts and payment increases for families on low and middle incomes.

This Labor Government has delivered $588 million in Schoolkids Bonus cash to about 1.2 million families this month – helping families as their kids get ready to go back to school. And there’s another payment to come in July.

The Schoolkids Bonus helps parents buy uniforms, shoes, school books and stationery, as well as cover other costs like school excursions, music lessons and sports registration fees.

Each year eligible families will receive up to $410 for each child in primary school and up to $820 a year for each high school student. The Bonus is paid in two instalments – in January and July.

A typical family with two kids will receive $15,000 in Schoolkids Bonus payments over the course of their children’s schooling.

Families need to know that the Liberals plan to leave them $15,000 short. And that’s on top of their plans to cut family payments and to slash Labor’s tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes.

Tony Abbott needs to come clean with Australian families.

Today’s secret plan confirms his only real plans for Australian families are the ones he doesn’t want to tell us about.