‘I would get rid of them’: Tanya Plibersek said she was against stage-three tax cuts, constituent claims

Tanya Plibersek expressed personal opposition to the stage-three income tax cuts at a public event on Saturday, revealing a view at odds with government policy, a constituent has said.

Alex Richardson, a longtime Labor supporter and former party member, claimed the environment and water minister told him "if it were up to me I would get rid of [them]" at the Erskineville public school fair on Saturday.

The comments are an apparent contradiction of Labor's decision not to repeal or restructure the controversial tax cuts, which flatten the marginal tax rate for those earning between $45,000 and $200,000.

Before the October budget the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, briefly opened the door to a debate about restructuring the tax cuts while the assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, acknowledged "differences of opinion" within the government on the question.

But the government decided not to amend its position, adopted before the May election, and has continued to back the cuts, which will cost an estimated $254bn over 10 years.

Legislated shortly after Labor's bruising 2019 election defeat, the cuts are due to take effect from 1 July 2024, meaning the government still has time to scrap them in the 2023 or 2024 budget.

Despite growing momentum in the Labor caucus to revisit its support for the cuts in search of budget savings and to preserve the progressive tax system, Anthony Albanese has firmly insisted Australians expect the party to honour its election pledge.