It’s enormous, encompassing communities that have unique experiences and challenges.
I’m very critical of commentators who ham-fistedly try to describe Western Sydney as if it’s one uniform place.
Blanket statements and generalisations don’t capture the diversity of the West.
But forgive me for breaking my rule to say there’s one uniform statement that rings true: Western Sydney deserves to keep more of what it earns.
Western Sydney will be boosted by the Albanese Government’s legislation which gives every taxpayer a tax cut – an estimated 902,000 of them.
Nearly 9 in every 10 taxpayers in Western Sydney will receive a larger tax cut than under Scott Morrison’s proposal from five years ago.
The tax-cut for a worker on $80,000 would be worth more than $1,670 a year.
Tax cuts for workers in disability, retail, and transport sectors. For health and aged-care workers. For accountants, teachers, software programmers and tradies – for every taxpayer.
While our plan is responsibly targeted to boost support for hard working families, it delivers for every taxpayer – right up and down the income ladder.
An early educator, aged-care worker or a cleaner earning $50,000 will now receive a tax cut worth over $900 a year.
Under the Coalition’s alternative, many workers — often working part-time with families — would have got nothing. Not a dollar.
All our wonderful nurses and transport workers will get a tax cut – with over 95 per cent of those taxpayers getting a larger tax cut as a result of Labor’s plan.
Australians earning over $150,000 a year will also receive a tax cut of at least $3,700.
These are just a few examples of how our plan will make a meaningful difference to workers and households across Western Sydney grappling with cost-of-living pressures.
I know – because I represent a community in North-West Sydney with high levels of mortgage stress.
Local residents – many of whom are economic migrants who moved to Australia for opportunities for themselves and their children – are asking for Government to do more to help.
To say to Western Sydney families there’s nothing Government can do would be a furphy.
The Federal Government is in a position to help – without making the economic situation worse by adding to inflation.
Our bigger tax cuts for more Australians deliver on that objective.
It complements our work to deliver electricity bill relief, cheaper childcare, medicines and GP visits.
We have increased rent assistance, delivered fee-free TAFE places, and extended free broadband for school children with no connectivity at home.
Labor has also launched an ACCC inquiry into supermarket prices and allegations of price gouging, the first of its kind since 2008.
Helping Australians with the cost of living is our number one priority because if the cost of essentials rises too fast, people can’t plan or save for the future.
Unlike the relentlessly negative Coalition, the Albanese Government is saying yes to supporting Western Sydney families to keep more of what they earn.
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says, our new tax cuts are the right decision at the right time, for the right reasons.
That’s why this Government listened to families in Western Sydney – and acted.
To estimate your tax cut, use the calculator @ https://treasury.gov.au/tax-cuts
Tax cuts to help with the cost of living | Treasury.gov.au
Michelle Rowland is Minister for Communications and Federal Member for Greenway. Visit: www.michellerowland.com.au
