Labor opposed the Turnbull Government’s late night deal in the Senate to cut $1.4 billion from Australian families.

Federal Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann said Malcolm Turnbull’s latest cut on Australian families is straight from the horror 2014 Abbott Budget – a freeze of the Family Tax Benefit Payment rates for two years.

“These cuts will affect every single recipient of Family Tax Benefit, leaving around 15,000 families in Ipswich and the Somerset Region worse off,” Mr Neumann said.

“At least 40 per cent of these families receive the maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A, which means their household income is less than $52,000 a year.

“The Liberals, Nationals, One Nation and Nick Xenophon all voted to cut family payments to 1.5 million Australian families in the Senate last night.

“Families now know who is on their side when it comes to helping them with the cost of raising a child. 

“These cuts to Family Tax Benefits are the same cuts that Mr Turnbull himself dropped from the Budget in the 2015 MYEFO.

“If these cuts to families are reasonable and fair, why did Malcolm Turnbull remove them from the Budget in 2015?”

Turnbull freezing Family Tax Benefit payments:

• A single income family on $60,000 with two primary school age children will be around $440 worse off over the two years.
• A dual income family on $50,000 with two children in primary school will be around $340 worse off over the two years.
• A single parent on $60,000 with two high school children will be around $540 worse off over the two years.
• A single income couple or single parent family with three children under 12 will be around $605 worse off over the two years.

“Local families know that only Labor will stand up and protect them from unfair cuts.