The Federal Government has accused the Australian Labor Party (ALP) of going back on its previous policy position by pursuing changes to the dividend imputation regime.
Continuing the Government’s attack on the Opposition policy position, Federal Treasurer, Scott Morrison claimed the proposed changes to dividend imputation represented a reversal of Labor Party policy dating back to 1998.
Speaking on national radio, the Treasurer claimed the ALP would be deliberately hitting 230,000 pensioners.
“….Labor has deliberately hit 230,000 pensioners. I mean, Bill Shorten just dismissed it today. He just dismissed 230,000 pensioners as being somehow irrelevant,” Morrison said.
“What’s interesting is that back in 1998 it was actually the Labor Party’s policy at the election that they should be extending the full value of franked dividends to pensioners and they took that to an election,” he said.
Morrison said Labor’s 1998 policy position had been in response to what the government then had already been proposing.
“It was fair then, but it’s apparently not fair now,” he said.
