While the government has sought to paint the opposition as the party of higher taxes in the lead-up to the 2022 federal election, Labor says it is the Coalition whose track record on taxes falls short.  

"Whenever [Treasurer Josh] Frydenberg bangs on about tax, remember that the two highest taxing governments of the last thirty years have both been Liberal-National governments, including his," tweeted Labor's Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

Indeed, although there have been just two periods each of Labor and Coalition governments in the last 30 years, the Commonwealth tax take was on average higher under the Coalition during that time.

Tax revenue as a share of the economy was highest under prime minister John Howard. Next was the current Coalition government, elected in 2013.

They were followed by the Labor government of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, then that of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

However, direct comparisons are complicated by, among other things, the introduction of the federal goods and services tax (GST) in July 2000, which one expert explained would have pushed up federal taxes as a share of the economy.

Importantly, experts told Fact Check that these tax figures were also subject to factors beyond the control of governments — including resources prices, for example — and were not necessarily a sign of good or bad economic management.

Verdict: Dr Chalmers's claim is a fair call.