Greens leader David Shoebridge will address the National Press Club in Canberra today, promising to help Australians struggling with cost-of-living and answering questions about allegations against senator Jordon Steele-John. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
He will propose lifting the tax-free threshold from $18,200 to $26,000, meaning people earning a wage won’t pay tax on their first $26,000. He says that will save the average working Australian more than $1,000.
The Greens are also proposing a $1,000 annual boost for people on income support, including pensioners, carers, students, and job seekers.
“No matter who you are, whether you’re working, studying, looking for work or on a pension, you’ll get more than $1,000,” Shoebridge said.
Costings for the Greens from the Parliamentary Budget Office show the plan would cost about $22bn a year, with Shoebridge proposing to pay for it through higher taxes on gas exports and a market-based tax on resources companies.
Steele-John is on leave from parliament amid an investigation into allegations about his conduct towards women. He has denied the allegations.