Interview with Tom Connell on Sky News

8 August 2025

Subjects: Productivity Roundtable, Labor’s higher taxes, Labor’s 5,000 new regulations, Gaza

E&OE………

Tom Connell

Talking to me now, Shadow Productivity and Shadow Housing Minister Andrew Bragg, who probably will be about the busiest person in the Coalition over the next few weeks, given these two areas. So - 'be bold' is the message, apparently, from the Opposition, I mean, that's fine to say now. Is there a single tax idea, with some specificity that you go, 'yep, this is a good idea,' so if Labor does adopt it, you can't then go, 'oh, no, but be bold, but not that idea, not that terrible Labor idea?'

Senator Bragg

Well, good afternoon, Tom. The government have raised expectations that they would make changes. As you know, there is a massive problem in Australia with our competitive position, particularly on the tax side, where our companies face very high levels of taxation, as do our people, who work for those companies or work in small businesses. And so, the tax system isn't competitive. It seems that the government is not proposing to do anything to help business or the economy, because they've now said that their tax summit is no longer a tax summit, it's now something else.

Tom Connell

I don't know if they ever called it a tax summit. You haven't gone for an idea. What about Kate Chaney, GST idea? So, increase it, flat rebate for everyone in the country. It would mean those on lower income are slightly better off and higher incomes worse off, and the government still collects money at the end of the day. What do you make of that plan?

Senator Bragg

Tom, we're the alternative government. We'll develop our own alternative tax policy before the next election. It's easy for Independents to throw around ideas; they'll never have to be the government. But of course, it's healthy that people put forward different concepts. I feel very sorry for all the organisations that have gone to great trouble to prepare submissions for this productivity, or tax, or whatever summit it is going to be, because ultimately now the government isn't proposing to do anything. Maybe that's because they think it's all too hard or maybe it's just because they're reverting to type. They've been a government that has increased tax and increased regulation, and so, I think that's what we can expect over the next three years, sadly.

Tom Connell

Okay, so are you just going to get to the end of this and oppose everything? I can maybe drag this clip out, as they say in TV times. Is there any chance you'll just be like, all these ideas from Labor that they might have some support for, they're terrible, we're the opposition, we're saying no?

Senator Bragg

Well, Tom, there's two main things that you can do to help the people of Australia and help businesses. You can cut regulation, you can cut taxes. So, they're saying that they're not going to do anything on the tax side, so that's off the table. And on regulation, they've introduced 5,000 new regulations in their first term. If they're going to cut regulation now and they're going to turn around their whole position, we'll support them.

Tom Connell

Okay. Where have they said that they're not touching a single tax though? I haven't seen that anywhere.

Senator Bragg

I thought the Prime Minister had said yesterday that they weren't going to do any tax reform. Is that right or not?

Tom Connell

Well, I think there was a...we in the fourth estate were perhaps reading into whether he was watering down, tempering expectations, and so on, but it hasn't been explicit anywhere.

Senator Bragg

Okay. Well, their record so far has been to increase taxes, increase personal income taxes, and obviously increase taxes on people who have super. So, I mean, if they're going to change tack then we're open to talk about that. But, so far, there's nothing on the table that indicates that they're going to be cutting taxes.

Tom Connell

You mentioned regulations. Now, I'll say, a friend of the program last week gave me some helpful stats, that there were more new regulations introduced in your last term than there were in Labor's. What's going on there?

Senator Bragg

Well, that was during a pandemic, and, if you reduce the pandemic from those numbers, then you have a much higher number in the last term. But, this is a government that's promising to cut regulations. So, my point is that if they were serious about cutting regulation, then why did they introduce 5,000 new regulations last parliament?

Tom Connell

Yeah, we didn't get the net figure, though, did we? There will always be new regulations because new things come along. AI arrives, you need to do new regulations. It's got to be the net figure. How many go on, how many go off.

Senator Bragg

Well, if the government wants to change tack. If they want to turn around the Titanic and become a red tape eating government, then we will help them eat the red tape. But, so far, they've put in new regulations which have hurt home building, hurt productivity, and hurt the private economy. So - I mean, they're a very anti-business lot, these people.

Tom Connell

Okay. Quick question on what's happening with Israel. Concerns about how far they're going, even saying that their condition would be Palestinian Authority can't be involved in anyway in this process of actually achieving a ceasefire?

Senator Bragg

Well, the main point is that we want Israel to actually beat Hamas. We don't want Hamas to be part of any institution. We want aid to get to the people, and Australia will play a constructive role. But we haven't been given a briefing. The government have already announced that they've got a particular position. I'm not sure what sort of intelligence they have to help form their own judgement. But, we don't want Hamas to be part of the ongoing arrangements in Gaza, but we do want to see food and medicines get to the people of Gaza.

Tom Connell

Andrew Bragg, appreciate your time today. Thank you.

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Senator Bragg

Thanks.

[Ends]