A Coalition of Federal, NSW and Victorian Shadow Ministers have joined forces to launch a nationwide campaign calling on the Albanese Labor Government to ‘Stop the Tech Tax’ and reconsider changes to the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) that threaten to stall Australia’s digital economy.
The joint campaign lands in direct response to Labor’s 2026-27 Budget, which delivered a fresh blow to Australian-based innovation by removing the 50% CGT discount and imposing a new 30% minimum tax floor.
Federal Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, Science, Innovation and Technology, Aaron Violi MP said this is yet another one-eyed approach from a government that talks about a ‘Future Made in Australia’ while simultaneously dismantling the structures that allow Australian innovation to get off the ground.
“Innovation will help solve our national productivity challenges, but the tech sector isn’t built on guaranteed corporate budgets. It’s built by the talented risk-takers willing to trade a stable pay check for stock options or a lower salary to get in on the ground floor at a startup,” Mr Violi said.
“People bet their careers that in return for their sacrifice today, they will be rewarded through stock options when that startup becomes the next big tech success story. By axing the 50 per cent CGT discount, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has launched a direct attack on that incentive to innovate.
NSW Shadow Minister for Science and Technology, the Hon Jacqui Munro MLC said “Australian innovators are going to be the people solving some of our most complex challenges. It’s not governments who will do this work. These changes put all of that at risk.”
“Smart policy encourages Australians to invest in productive ventures, not static assets. If mum and dad investors aren’t incentivised to put money into startups and innovation it will inevitably slow down jobs growth and economic development,” she said.
Victorian Shadow Minister for AI and the Digital Economy, Richard Welch MP said innovators and small businesses are being squeezed by an uncompetitive tag-team of state and federal Labor Government’s and their high taxing agendas.
“Federal and State Labor Governments are launching new attacks on businesses on every front, and they fundamentally do not understand that you cannot tax your way to a digital future.
“Both Labor Government’s need to explain to the Australian tech sector how they expect them to build wealth for the next generation when they are actively dismantling the tools required to get off the ground.
We need to Stop the Tech Tax and implement a framework that allows our innovators to attract talent, innovate and boost our economic growth.
The Stop the Tech Tax campaign calls on the Treasurer to immediately reverse the 2026-27 Budget CGT changes.
Join our fight to protect Australian start-ups, talent, innovation and our national prosperity by signing our petition at stopthetechtax.com.au
