Wow. The Turnbott Government is a debacle. After the Prime Minister and Deputy Leader have spent the past few days running a desperate scare campaign against Labor’s negative gearing and CGT policy, warning that it would “crash house prices”, we got this today from Assistant Treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer (my emphasis):
Q: OK, the prime minister has been under attack over the government’s tax policy. Malcolm Turnbull has put an increase in the capital gains tax back on the agenda. There have been some confusion. Are you prepared for Labor to keep up the pressure until we see the government’s full tax policy? Are you preparing a full tax policy?
Kelly O’Dwyer: Well, there has only been confusion because some people have been very misleading. The prime minister has made it very clear the government is not going to be changing the capital gains tax arrangements with respect to negative gearing. We have been very clear on that. The prime minister said it a lot.
The Labor party has a very irresponsible campaign, they have got a policy that will increase the cost of housing for all Australians, for those people who own a home and for those people who would like to get into the housing market through their negative gearing policy.
We think it’s reckless and irresponsible, we think that you need a considered and adult conversation with the Australian people to let them know what the implications are.
Stick to the script, Ms O’Dwyer. Stick to the script…
