More money in the pocket of workers and welfare recipients will form the basis of the new Greens leader’s pitch to discontented voters, as he contends with multiple crises facing the party.
David Shoebridge, who has promised to beat a rising One Nation and replace Labor despite the Greens losing three seats at the last election, will outline exactly how he plans to win back voters in his first appearance at the National Press Club on Wednesday.
The centrepiece of the minor party’s renewed platform is lifting the tax-free threshold from $18,200 to $26,000, which would give more than $1000 back to almost every working Australian.
“We’re not leaving anyone behind. We’re also proposing a $1000 annual boost for people on income support,” Senator Shoebridge will say.
“No matter who you are, whether you’re working, studying, looking for work or on a pension, you’ll get more than $1000.”
The policy won’t be inflationary according to the Greens leader because it will be offset by new corporate taxes, targeted at the resources sector.
To pay for the $22 billion a year commitment, the Greens would introduce a 25 per cent gas export tax and a market-linked resource rent tax.
“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,” Senator Shoebridge will say.
The newly minted leader is likely to face questions over recent crises facing the minor party since he took over the role in September.
The leader received a letter from seven Greens members urging an investigation into Western Australian senator Jordon Steele-John in recent weeks.
The party’s spokesman for disability and mental health has been put on leave from the parliament until the state Greens branch completes its probe into allegations of inappropriate behaviour by the senator towards women.
Senator Steele-John denies any wrongdoing.
The Greens’ stance on providing only non-military support for Ukraine has also sparked a backlash from the party’s Ukrainian counterparts and the nation’s ambassador to Australia.
Senator Shoebridge has maintained the party’s stance hasn’t changed since the conflict began in 2022, supporting direct aid to Ukraine for self-defence and not the international arms trade.
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