One of Bill Shorten's backbenchers has refused multiple chances to support the Labor leader's roll back of tax cuts for small and medium businesses.
Tasmanian Labor MP Ross Hart says he believes Mr Shorten's decision to get rid of tax cuts for businesses with annual turnovers from $10 million to $50 million did not go to shadow cabinet.
"He's the leader of the party, he has announced this, there's been a lot of observations about the fact that this has been, as you say, a captain's call," Mr Hart told LA FM radio in Tasmania.
"He has announced it in response to a direct question with respect to this issue, that he wants to see a repeal of this. That's a matter for Bill Shorten."
Mr Hart was asked multiple times if he supported Mr Shorten's decision, before finally telling LA FM he supported "the captain's call".
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Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said Mr Shorten had a "right to announce Labor policy".
"He did that consistent with the way that Labor had voted in the House of Representatives and the Senate when these changes were considered," Mr Albanese told 5AA radio on Wednesday.
He said Labor was prioritising education, health, infrastructure and paying down debt over corporate tax rate cuts.
But in any case, Labor's already-announced "business investment guarantee" would have a significantly greater benefit than that which the government was proposing.
