Coalition’s paid parental leave tax to push up mortgage rates: Wayne Swan

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has claimed the Coalition’s paid parental leave scheme would cause variable mortgage rates to rise.

Swan quotes new Treasury analysis showing the cost of the 1.5% company tax hike on banks and other mortgage lenders is nearly $4 billion over four years – reaching $1.1 billion in 2016-17.

“Mr Abbott's new tax will send standard variable mortgage rates up by 10 basis points, while business rates could rise by as much as 25 basis points,” says Swan.

“The big banks have put Mr Abbott on notice that they will pass on every dollar of his company tax hike by jacking up interest rates on mortgages and small business loans - everyone with a home loan or business loan will pay for Mr Abbott's PPL scheme.”

Swan labelled the tax “unfair and unaffordable” and said it would be “paid for out of the pockets of hard-working families and small businesses across Australia”.

“It's downright unfair to rip away $2,000 from new families on modest incomes and jack up their mortgage repayments just to put $75,000 straight into the bank accounts of millionaires.

“Under Labor, a family on a $300,000 mortgage is saving around $5,500 a year in repayments compared to the high interest rates the Liberals saddled them with when they left office,” he said.

The paid parental leave scheme is one of the key policies of the Coalition’s election manifesto.

It will pay mothers six months of their normal salary up to $75,000. 

Treasury estimates of cost of 1.5% company tax hike on entities involved in general lending and deposit taking