Shadow finance minister Jane Hume claims Dunkley voters hold ‘white hot anger’ for Albanese government ahead of by-election

Shadow finance minister Jane Hume has claimed there is “white hot anger” in the seat of Dunkley ahead of Saturday’s by-election, with voters criticising the Albanese government’s failure to address falling disposable incomes.

The key vote is shaping to be a test of public opinion on the government’s performance, with observers suggesting the result could be close despite Labor holding a margin of about six per cent in the electorate.

Cost of living concerns have dominated political debate in the lead-up to the by-election, with the government’s controversial changes to stage three tax cuts shaping as a decisive factor in the minds of some locals.

Speaking to Sky News Australia on Wednesday, Senator Hume again attacked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers for altering the already legislated cuts as she suggested both were eager to see the tax overhaul pass Parliament ahead of Saturday’s vote.

“We now know that the Prime Minister lied more than 100 times in the lead-up to the (federal) election and after the election saying that he wasn’t going to reverse the stage three tax cuts,” she said.

“It’s extraordinary that he’s out there doing a victory lap to celebrate that lie today.

“We did see the reversal of the stage three tax cuts and the revised version pass the Senate last night without a hitch. There was an awful lot of frothing at the mouth from the Treasurer in the House of Representatives yesterday saying that the Coalition were blocking it or holding it up in the Senate, what an absolute load of nonsense.

“There really was no urgency to get this through because the tax cuts don’t kick in until the first of July 2024 anyway, which is four months away, it was performance art.”

While the Coalition has criticised the government over the changes, the party backed the legislation in both houses of Parliament on Tuesday as it sought to avoid being seen as denying Australians cost of living relief.

Senator Hume added the opposition was committed to broader tax reform, promising it would present a tax package which provided “lower, simpler and fairer taxes” ahead of the next federal election.

The shadow finance minister added the government had “no appetite” to eliminate bracket creep on personal income taxes, claiming the opposition was “acutely conscious” of the issue.

Critics of Labor’s changes to stage three have accused the government of locking in as much as $28 billion worth of bracket creep over the next decade.

While polling has shown the majority of Australians support the government’s alterations, it has yet to see any political benefit from them, with a number of surveys suggesting Labor’s share of the primary vote is slipping and Mr Albanese’s overall approval rating remaining in negative territory.

Senator Hume went further on Wednesday, saying there was “white hot anger” in the seat of Dunkley over perceptions the government has failed to adequately address the cost of living crisis.

“I know that Labor are throwing everything at this by-election, obviously a 6.3 per cent margin is very big, in any other election it wouldn’t be considered a marginal seat, but it does feel like a marginal campaign,” she said.

“Now what we’re hearing from voters on the ground is there is this white hot anger, there is this fury that the Albanese government has been focused on things that are important to them rather than important to the people of Dunkley.

“There’s a lot of people that are feeling poorer, and rightly so you know, if your disposable income’s going backward by 8.7 per cent in 18 months, you’re really feeling it.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re at the bowser, or the grocery checkout, or paying their electricity bills, or their gas bills everything’s going up and there is fury that the Albanese government really hasn’t been responding to their needs.”

While most analysts expect Labor will retain the seat of Dunkley, reports have emerged that Mr Albanese has been warning his party the result could be close and the government must even be prepared for a potential loss.

Despite this, the Prime Minister appeared confident when speaking with Sky News Australia later on Wednesday morning, even calling out Senator Hume for earlier remarks she made on Sunrise about the changes to stage three.

“We’re making these changes, putting dollars in people’s pockets who really need it, low and middle income earners, we are aiming this fairly and squarely at middle Australia and doing it in a way that will continue to put that downward pressure on inflation,” he said.

“That’s why of all the measures that could be considered this was, overwhelmingly, the right thing to do, which is why we put it forward.

“I do note that the opposition, first they said they’d fight it, then they said they’d roll it back, then they said we should have an election on it, then they said they’d actually vote for it but they continue to criticise it.

“This morning the shadow minister, Jane Hume, went out there and said they’d start all over again… they’ve had a different position every day, they’ve had a different position on this but it’s the right thing to do.”

Asked about the government’s chances in Saturday’s poll, Mr Albanese said he believed Labor had “the best candidate” in Jodie Belyea and backed her to win the vote.