Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Some might need an answer to follow on from. First of all, when will you be making a decision on this issue so the City of Belmont and, in fact, communities that are affected by airports around Australia can be assured about their future revenues? Are you concerned about the federal Auditor-General’s criticism of your department’s management of leases with airports and what are you going to do about that?

Do you believe the federal government should be providing a private corporation with a tax haven, in effect—I am quoting that term ‘tax haven’ from Senator Johnston’s evidence to Senate estimates, so it is not coming from the Labor Party—that provides a significant advantage over other businesses not located on airport land? Given airports have a huge impact on communities around Australia, do you believe that airport lessee companies should be good corporate citizens and meet all their obligations to their local communities?

When did you become aware that your department was providing airport corporations with advice about the interpretation of the lease without first obtaining legal advice? I understand that that legal advice has now been made available to you, according to recent Senate estimates, and I am wondering when that legal advice can be made available to members of parliament so that we can advise our councils as to exactly what the position is. Are you aware that your department continues to have a misunderstanding that other ratepayers are able to negotiate down the amount of rates they pay? To put that into perspective, the department has said, ‘Look, it’s okay—because there aren’t certain services provided to airport corporations that would normally be available to other ratepayers, they can actually go and negotiate down the amount.’ But that prospect is not available to any other ratepayers or equivalent ratepayers in local government jurisdictions. In fact, in some cases it is prohibited by law. I quote the example particularly in Belmont, because it is relevant, where the local shopping centre provides a lot of their own services and removes a lot of their own rubbish, as the airport does, but they do not receive any reduction in their rates because of that. But the department is continually telling airports corporations that because they are not provided with all the services they can get a reduction. This flies in the face of everything else that has been provided by way of advice. Minister, I will let you have a go at those questions and I will come back with some more. Thank you.

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