The Turnbull government is continuing to insist that its tax package must be considered as a job lot, and it will get through the Senate intact, despite the obvious parliamentary resistance to the third tranche of the reforms, which flattens the income tax scales, benefiting high-income earners. Morrison is also continuing to resist calls to release detailed, year-by-year costings of the tax measures beyond the forward estimates, contending the figures would be “unreliable”. The Grattan Institute has produced analysis demonstrating the top 20% of income earners will benefit most from the tax plan Morrison outlined in the budget last Tuesday. Labor will also impose a 49% rate for people earning over $180,000 if it wins the next federal election. A government has not taken a seat from the opposition of the day at a byelection for a century.

Source: The Guardian May 13, 2018 02:48 UTC