Dave Hughes: “We Need Another Election”
"We need another election, because you didn’t have a mandate for it. You lied blatantly," he said.
Australian Comedian Dave Hughes has added his voice to a growing chorus of Australians calling for an early election following the release of the 2026-27 Federal Budget by Treasurer Jim Chalmers earlier this month.
Hughes is among many frustrated Australians upset with major changes to property and investment taxes, particularly the reforms to capital gains tax (CGT). Taking to Instagram, Hughes expressed his anger at the Labor government in a series of videos, with his latest clip taking aim at CGT reforms specifically.
“If I had known they were going to do that, I wouldn’t have voted for them,” Hughes said in a video published Saturday. “I voted for Albo and Chalmers. They didn’t have a mandate for changing the capital gains tax. It’s now the highest in the world. No one is going to want to invest in Australia. What the f*** are you doing?
“This affects every working Australian, everyone who actually pays tax, because we all have to have Super, which is investments. And you’ve just doubled the f***ing take on it to waste, because you’re f***ing incompetent.
“Your bumbling, fumbling, idiotic performance when questioned this week by both Albo and Chalmers, and every other minister in that f***ing stupid government, just solidified the fact that we need another election, because you didn’t have a mandate for it.
“You didn’t have a mandate for it. You lied blatantly, so it’s not valid. So, let’s go to the polls again. Put it to the people.”
Under the current system, Australians who hold investments such as property or shares for more than a year pay tax on only half of the profit when selling. The new budget plans to scrap that 50% discount from July 2027 and instead tax profits based on inflation-adjusted gains, alongside a new minimum 30% tax on capital gains.
The government argues the reforms are fairer, as they tax only “real” profits after inflation. However, critics argue the changes will ultimately increase taxes in practice and discourage investment.
Earlier this month, former federal MP George Christensen launched an online petition calling for the dissolution of the Australian Parliament and an immediate federal election.
The petition, titled “Albo Must Go,” has attracted close to 20,000 signatures and accuses Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Albanese government of presiding over soaring inflation, record migration levels, and increasing censorship measures while ignoring the concerns of everyday Australians.
The campaign also encourages Australians to send formal letters to both the Prime Minister and the Governor-General, urging the immediate dissolution of Parliament and a return to the polls.