Media Release by The Hon Jenny Macklin MP

Australian families can’t trust Tony Abbott

Tony Abbott must come clean in his speech to the National Press Club today about his real plan to slap a new tax on Australian businesses to pay for his unfair, $4.5 billion a year paid parental leave policy.

This new tax would mean ordinary families and pensioners pay more at the checkout so that Tony Abbott can give high-flying lawyers and bank executives $75,000 to have a baby.

It is a policy that rewards the wealthy and leaves ordinary Australian families behind.

Mr Abbott has said this election will be about trust, but it is clear that Australians can’t trust the Opposition leader.

Tony Abbott stayed ‘mum’ about his brand new tax in his policy light ‘plan’ released this week.

He was silent about his brand new tax — despite promising 19 times to lower taxes in the same document.

Today’s speech at the National Press Club provides Mr Abbott with a chance to speak up – and to tell Australian families what his real plans are.

Mr Abbott must also come clean about his real plans to scrap the Schoolkids Bonus leaving 1.3 million Australian families worse off.

This Labor Government’s Schoolkids Bonus helps families with the costs of sending their kids to school like school books, uniforms and school uniforms.

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 slash Labor’s tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes.

Mr Abbott’s real plan is for ordinary Australians to pay more tax. The test for Mr Abbott today will be whether Australian families can trust him to tell the truth.