CANBERRA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has called on the Opposition to help the government pass its proposed tax cuts in time for the new financial year.
The 158 billion Australian dollar (108.6 billion U.S. dollar) tax cuts were the centerpiece of the Liberal-National party coalition's successful re-election campaign but must be passed by Parliament by June 30 in order to be in place for the 2019/20 financial year, which begins on July 1.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has conceded that Parliament will not be reconvened in time following Saturday's election to legislate the cuts, which would see the average Australian save 1,080 Australian dollars (742.4 U.S. dollars) per year.
Frydenberg, who announced the seven-year tax plan in the Federal Budget for 2019/20 on April 2, urged the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to support the package as a whole.
The government on Tuesday refused to split the package into two parts; the first of which would address tax cuts for low-income earners and the second of which would deliver cuts for middle and high-income earners.
Labor has signalled its support for the first part but not for the second, meaning it will not support a single package.
"It is important that this is dealt with as a package because we are talking about not just immediate tax relief but also long-term structural reform," Frydenberg said.
"That's been our message to the Australian people at this election.
"That's why we took this package of tax measures to the Australian people at this election. And they voted on it. And they voted to support the government."
Chris Bowen, Labor's Treasury spokesperson and a candidate for the party's leadership, said that Morrison and Frydenberg were already "breaking promises" made in the election campaign by not delivering the cuts on time.
