Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has ramped up accusations that Labor is lying about negative gearing after the Treasurer did not deny getting advice on the topic.
The Greens have vowed to push a re-elected Albanese government to scrap negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount in the event of a hung parliament.
During the election campaign on Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers were asked whether they had proactively asked the Treasury for modelling on a potential change to negative gearing and captain gains tax.
Mr Chalmers confirmed that from “time to time” the government asks the Treasury department for advice “on issues that are in the public domain”.
“I said last year and I have said on a number of occasions now, that I sought a view. That’s different to commissioning modelling,” he told reporters in Brisbane.
Mr Albanese described it as “normal process” to ask Treasury to get advice on certain issues, ruling out he would negotiate with the Greens on negative gearing.
The Albanese government had asked Treasury for advice on scaling back negative gearing.
Treasury does not spontaneously decide to model changes to policies, such as negative gearing, unless the issue is specifically raised by the government.
The PM’s claim during the ABC debate that Treasury was “not commissioned” contradicts Mr Chalmers who admitted he asked his department to examine potential changes.
Speaking from the Labor-held seat of Paterson in the New South Wales lower Hunter Valley, Mr Dutton accused the PM and Mr Chalmers of being “at odds” on the issue.
He claimed on Thursday the Albanese government “always harboured a desire” to abolish negative gearing and that Mr Albanese “has a problem with the truth”.
“Treasury doesn’t initiate significant bodies of work without there being a direction from the Treasurer and from the Prime Minister and Cabinet department,” Mr Dutton said.
“It’s nonsense. I don’t think Australian should be treated with contempt as a Prime Minister is doing at the moment, be open and honest instead of telling fibs.”
The Opposition Leader urged the PM that if he was going to abolish negative gearing, he should be upfront with voters before they head to the polls on May 3.
Mr Dutton visited the electorate of Paterson where the Coalition announced $260 million in funding for 12 new trade colleges across the country.
The Hunter is a big target for the LNP this election amid the anger from some locals after Labor declared the region an offshore wind area in 2023.
The Coalition has earmarked plans to build a nuclear reactor where the retired Liddell coal-fired power station is located in the upper Hunter region.
Mr Dutton is hoping to flip Paterson blue again after Labor won it at the past three Federal Elections. It is currently held by Meryl Swanson on a margin of 2.6 per cent.
The Liberal candidate for Paterson is Laurence Antcliff.
