Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has become the latest politician to stumble over superannuation policy, a day after Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was stumped on live radio.
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At a time when the government faces increasing pressure over its superannuation changes, the South Australian senator mistakenly told the ABC in Adelaide on Wednesday morning that the Greens wanted to tax superannuation at the same rate as income, then stumbled again when asked to explain if the plan was for taxes on super contributions or earnings.
"We think it needs to be fair," Senator Hanson-Young told hosts Matthew Abraham and David Bevan in an interview that also included Labor frontbencher Mark Butler.
"We're saying that if you earn more than, if you're earning more then you should have to pay the tax rate that you're paying on income," she said.
She called for an overhaul of the super system and said the changes should be paid by anyone over 65, at the same rates as existing income taxes.
"It has got to be a progressive tax rate, so that people who need more help in order to put away super can be helped to do that.
"Why should people get more of a tax break because they earn more? We're saying let's equal it out, let's make sure its fair across the board."
After challenging the Labor and Liberal parties to put their full super plans on the table, Senator Hanson-Young later explained a staffer had sent her a text message from outside the studio to correct the comments. The senator then clarified that while the Greens want to tax super progressively, like income, those rates are not the same.
"I've had a text from my chief of staff sitting outside, sending me the table," she said.
"It's basically as I was saying a progressive tax rate, but we're saying for those who would normally be taxed on the 33¢ for $37,000 to $100,000, it is 15¢ worth of tax on your super."
Mr Butler asked if Senator Hanson-Young was talking about super contributions or earnings.
"This is the super rate," she said.
"On earnings... I am just trying to give you the correct information."
Asked again if it was super contributions or earnings, she said appeared confused.
"Sorry ... what?"
"It is the amount of contributions that you are putting into superannuation. It is the tax on that." She later confirmed she was talking about contributions, not earnings.
Mr Butler said he wanted to "run a million miles" from Senator Hanson-Young's comments.
"To be fair to the Greens Party, I'm not sure that [Senator Hanson-Young] has quite outlined the Greens Party approach to superannuation," he said.
"It would essentially undo 30 years of retirement incomes policy in Australia. It is just an extraordinary announcement" he said.
On Tuesday, Ms Bishop was unable to explain the government's planned changes to the transition to retirement superannuation scheme, conceding a "gotcha moment" with host Neil Mitchell.
The comments, which drew criticism from Labor and former Coalition staffer Peta Credlin, prompted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to describe the changes in detail.
"I think you'll find superannuation is notoriously an area of great complexity," he said.
A spokesman said the Greens' policy would save $11 billion over four years by ending some superannuation tax concessions.
The party would introduce a 15¢ government co-contribution for taxpayers below the tax-free threshold for each dollar contributed.
