Gritted teeth on broken promises
The Albanese government is progressing with the stage three tax cuts in full. But internal Treasury briefs show a distinct lack of enthusiasm for keeping the cuts legislated during the 'wasted decade'.
The Albanese Government is determined not to be accused of breaking its promises. And this is most obvious when it comes to the hotly contested stage three tax cuts. But it’s what the government isn’t saying — including in internal documents — that’s especially telling.
Capital Brief submitted a Freedom of Information request for Question Time briefs prepared for government ministers relating to the stage three tax cuts, negative gearing, capital gains tax concessions and the government’s housing policies. These briefs provide a good indication of how the government is positioning itself on various issues. They’re developed jointly by the relevant minister’s office and department (in this case Treasury).
Among the documents we got back was a brief from July 2023 on stage three tax cuts.
There are six “key messages” the government was gearing up to discuss if asked about these highly-debated tax cuts, and it's worth quoting them in full:
