‘Not the sharpest tool in the shed’: Chalmers unleashes on Wilson in fiery Question Time clash

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Oh.

[00:00:00]>> My question is to the Treasurer.

[00:00:02]Over the last 12 months, the Albanese Labor government has taken $410 of extra tax from the average worker through bracket creep, and Labor will continue to rely on it year after year.

[00:00:15]>> [cough] >> Can the Treasurer confirm the working Australians tax offset will be chewed up by bracket creep within a year?

[00:00:24]>> I call to the Treasurer.

[00:00:27]>> Well, Mr. Speaker, if anybody's looking for evidence that the member for Goldstein is not the sharpest tool in the shed.

[00:00:33]>> [laughter] >> How about him asking about tax cuts on a day that their party room decided to vote against tax cuts for 13 million Australian workers, Mr. Speaker?

[00:00:46]>> Member for Solomon >> the things to ask us about today, Mr. Speaker, maybe they could have waited for another day to ask us about bracket creep when this side of the house, this week in the House of Representatives, will be returning bracket creep, and that side of the house will be voting to keep bracket creep, Mr. Speaker.

[00:01:06]It's almost as if somebody who writes these questions, Mr. Speaker, is deliberately setting him up. Because only a few hours ago in the coalition party room, that meeting of minds down that end of the building, Mr. Speaker, they decided to repeat the same mistake that they made not that long ago, to vote against tax cuts for Australian working people. Well, this side of the house will be voting for tax cuts, won't we? WE'LL BE VOTING FOR TAX cuts when the >> Order, the member for Solomon will leave the chamber under 94A.

[00:01:41]Do not interject while people are approaching and use correct titles in this house.

[00:01:49]The member for Goldstein is on a point >> relevance, the question was specifically about whether the Treasurer could confirm the working Australians tax offset will chewed up by bracket creep within a year. I know he enjoys just a brain of his >> Resume your seat. Resume your seat.

[00:02:02]Yeah. Yeah.

[00:02:03]The Treasurer wasn't asked about the opposition's all their policies, so I'm going to bring him back to the question and ask if he continues to talk about the opposition, he'll be sat down. The Treasurer has the call.

[00:02:14]>> Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was asked about the working Australians' tax offset. We'll be voting for it and they'll be voting against it, Mr. Speaker. That's the decision that was taken today uh in their party room, Mr. Speaker.

[00:02:26]Now, when it comes to returning bracket creep, this is a government which has returned bracket creep on five occasions using three different mechanisms, Mr. Speaker. In fact, in fact, there'll be another tax cut on the 1st of July, less than a month from now. The same tax cuts that they said that they would repeal, Mr. Speaker. And so, the difference in here is very clear. A Labor government led by this Prime Minister cutting income taxes again and again and again for millions of Australian workers versus an opposition which votes against tax cuts for Australia's working people.

[00:03:02]So, Mr. Speaker, the point that I'm making about the working Australians' tax offset is because of our efforts Australians will be getting another tax cut. If they had their way, Australians would be paying higher income taxes, not lower income taxes.