Who are the tax cut naysayers talking to?

If one party says "x" is good, then by default, an opposing party must argue that "x" is bad.

It represents a dumbed down, ill-considered form of politics that wreaks of schoolyard antics.

Last week's announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the proposed changes to the stage three tax cuts was no exception. The response from politicians across the aisle left me shaking my head in disbelief as the childish display devolved into outright bullying and name calling.

The issue lies in the 2018 LNP-legislated stage 3 Tax Cuts, which would deliver changes to combat "tax-bracket creep". Ultimately, the planned changes were set to reduce the tax savings for the highest income-earners by half, and distribute the tax savings to low- and middle-income earners.

And by God are the wealthy up in arms.

If you've read my columns over the years, you will know I am rarely without something to say, but watching Pauline Hanson trip over herself on camera exclaiming that the extra money would be wasted on "low-class Australians" who would "squander it" left me open-mouthed and speechless.

Notwithstanding the glaringly offensive characterisation of low- to middle-income earners as "low class" (and presumably by extension, the elevation of Ms Hanson to a "high class" individual given her Senate salary of $211,000/pa), economically speaking, she is simply wrong.

The Australia Institute's chief economist, Richard Denniss stated, "low- and middle-income earners are more likely to spend their tax cut back into the economy, creating jobs and growth, while the highest income earners are more likely to stash the additional cash away." Dr Denniss concluded that the original legislated stage three tax cuts will therefore "increase economic inequality in Australia."

Furthermore, as a Farrer resident myself, where the median income is below $40,000/pa, it was staggering to watch my MP, Sussan Ley's reaction to Mr Albanese's announcement and it made me question whether she knew her constituents at all.

Ms Ley came out swinging with the PM firmly in her sights, hitting him with both barrels as she appeared on TV segments berating his proposal, released crude memes that I can only assume were meant to be witty, but just made her look like a bully, and bandied about the phrase "The Liar in the Lodge" like she was particularly proud of the mental acuity that that little gem must have required.

Finally! Revenge for the "Liar from the Shire" viral memes that ensued during Scott Morrison's reign of mediocrity! Neither nickname is particularly indicative of a propensity for adulting in politics, but at least former PM Morrison's moniker rhymed.

"What else is [the PM] lying about?" Ms Ley demanded on X (formerly Twitter), outraged by the audacity of a government who would go back on its word despite having delivered on 21 election promises, with 38 in progress and just two broken.

I mean, her shock is completely understandable given the integrity with which the LNP ran the government. They've never promised the world prior to a federal election and subsequently let the people down.

Oh wait.

By 2014, Tony Abbott's LNP government had accrued 40 broken promises and "blatant hypocrisies", a number which had grown to 85 by 2015, while Turnbull's tally sat at 19 broken promises in 2016.

Don't even get me started on former PM and Minister for Everything, Scott Morrison's litany of lies.

It appears that if Ms Ley wants to bandy about a term like "The Liar in the Lodge", she is going to have to be a bit more specific about whom she's talking.

MORE ZOE WUNDENBERG:

Over the five years since the tax cuts were legislated, the world has changed considerably: the pandemic locked down the entire globe, wars in Ukraine and Israel have broken out, cost of living has skyrocketed, Collingwood won an AFL grand final ... I may not be a Labor fangirl, but I can respect a government that will pivot when decisions made previously are no longer appropriate.

Frankly, if Ms Hanson and Ms Ley think we will join them in their outrage about only saving a little under $5000/pa on tax instead of their expected almost $10,000/pa boon, they should learn how to read the room.

They just look ridiculous.