Greens leader David Shoebridge is set to call for Australia’s tax-free threshold to rise from $18,200 to $26,000, a move he says would return more than $1,000 to almost every working Australian.
Senator Shoebridge will set out the proposal during his first appearance at the National Press Club, as he seeks to rebuild support for the Greens after the party lost three seats at the last election.
He has argued that the policy could be negotiated with Labor before the next election, which is due by May 2028. However, the Greens hold only one seat in the lower house, meaning 75 MPs would need to cross the floor for the measure to pass.
Labor minister Murray Watt rejected the prospect of working with Senator Shoebridge on the proposal, saying his party’s position on tax was clear.
“The Greens are welcome to make whatever statements they want,” he told ABC Breakfast. “The reality is that come the next election, we will have either a Labor government or a coalition between the Liberals, National, and One Nation.”
“They are the two options available, as much as the Greens want to claim otherwise.”
How the Greens tax-free threshold plan would be funded
Senator Shoebridge says the $22 billion-a-year commitment would be funded through new taxes on the resources sector, including a 25 per cent gas export tax and a market-linked resource rent tax.
He argues the tax-free threshold increase would not fuel inflation because of those measures, saying Australians should receive a fair share when resource prices rise because the public owns the resources.
“When the price of our resources goes up, the Australian people should get their fair share, after all the public owns the resources in the first place,” he is expected to say.
Senator Shoebridge has promised to challenge Labor and the rising One Nation vote as he attempts to position the Greens as an alternative for dissatisfied voters.
The party was on 12 per cent of the primary vote in Essential polling released on Wednesday, while Labor and One Nation were level on 28 per cent.
Senator Shoebridge said voters needed to believe they had a meaningful choice if politicians were not helping with their daily lives, arguing that Labor’s “arrogance” could prevent it from winning further support.
