Question Time House of Representatives 19 September 2007

This was a valuable Question Time to review as much media attention was drawn to this session after Kevin Rudd incorrectly identified the current tax threshold rate earlier that morning. The Government has an absolute field day with this one and much of this Question Time again illustrated again the childlike behaviour of the leaders of this nation. The Minister for Deakin Phil Barresi asked the Treasurer to inform the House of the rates and thresholds that apply in the current tax system with a smirk on his face that resembled Dr Seuss’ Grinch Who Stole Christmas. There were cheers and statements yelled across the room with an unidentifiable minister saying, “Listen to this one Kevin”. Ouch! And so began Treasurer Costello’s performance. He started by asking Rudd to “turn around and face the front please whilst I give this answer” which sounded like a teacher instructing a student. The House erupted in noise and jeers with the Speaker having to state “Order, order” and then stand up and ask the Treasurer to resume his seat. Costello continued his answer by commenting on Rudd’s refusal to face him and then proudly quoted the tax thresholds. This is his area of expertise after all. Costello criticised Rudd for demanding that the government set an election date whilst not releasing Labor’s tax policy to the Australian people. This Question Time was spiteful and reflected the past weeks of bully tactics between the two party’s including leaks about Rudd’s heart condition and the secret gay life of a Liberal MP. The Treasurer fiercely said Rudd had one of those “I wish the ground would just open up and swallow me days” and then used a slow, loud and almost stupid accented voice to describe Rudd’s answer. I earlier called Costello’s answer a “performance” because that is what it was like. Costello was in his element and rightly so but it could have been done without the C-grade acting. The Speaker had to call order again and the Chief Opposition Whip asked the Treasurer to stop shouting into the microphone. The cheers and jeers started again. Costello then mocked Rudd’s answer that the tax thresholds “cascade down the spectrum” by loudly stating with a laugh that “cascade is a form of beer, tax thresholds don’t cascade”. His tone grew serious and louder when he finished by stating that the “Leader of the Opposition doesn’t understand it and shouldn’t be in charge of people’s mortgages, their businesses or their jobs”. The Government definitely took advantage of Rudd’s mistake and it gained a lot of media attention which raised questions about Rudd’s economic policy. This brought something to my attention: Ok, so Kevin doesn’t know the exact rates when asked on the spot. He made a slip up. Granted he is the Leader of the Opposition but would Costello’s fellow party ministers know the tax threshold rates? And I got my answer from the team who use satire to make politicians accountable for their actions, the Chaser. The Chaser revealed that Alexander Downer was none the wiser when it came to his party’s tax threshold rates when asked on ABC’s Lateline. He tried to disguise his lack of knowledge by looking down at the answers and it was so embarrassingly obvious that he had no idea. I just hope that Labor has more credibility then to bring Downer’s misfortune up in Question Time. Leave the smear campaigning for Summer Heights High Ja’mai King.