Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

This is the flaw in the plot that the opposition is seeking to hatch here. I thank the member for Banks for not only his eloquent exposition of the argument but his advice to the coalition that, if, upon further consideration and passage of these amendments, the coalition forms the view that they do not give effect to the intent of the Senate amendments, the coalition could indeed deal with it in the Senate and it would not be the end of the match.

The shadow minister for education, apprenticeships and training has been protesting that he and the coalition only saw the amendments a few minutes ago. I have in front of me two documents: the Tax Laws Amendment (Political Contributions and Gifts) Bill 2008that is a covering note—and the actual amendments. The date on both of those is 26 May 2009. It is now 18 June 2009. Far from these amendments having been made available for the first time a few minutes ago, as asserted by the member for Sturt, the shadow minister, they have been available since 26 May. The coalition assert that this is the first time they have seen the amendments when they have been available for several weeks. The coalition strategy—the true motivation behind this—is now clear to me. It becomes clearer by the day and by the moment through this debate that the true intent of the coalition is to defeat the entire bill. That is the true intent of the coalition.

I just ask that they have the courage of their convictions. If the coalition have an ideological position on this bill, which provides that businesses are able to claim a $1,500 tax deduction for political donations, that is their position and they can be judged on that position by the Australian people. We now know it is their position, but they do not want to be judged by the Australian people on that position and have come up with this ruse that the government amendments were made available only a few minutes ago, with all the feigned indignation and outrage of the member for Sturt—’We only just saw it. We didn’t know. If we’d known, we might have voted differently, but we can’t.’ We see the old hangdog look: ‘We’d love to do the right thing by Australia and by the parliament, but, gee, we just haven’t had time to look at it.’ Well, 26 May is a fair while ago. These amendments have been available since 26 May and the coalition, and Senator Ronaldson, know that.

The House has substituted amendments for the Senate amendments. The House amendments result in a bill that removes the ability of businesses to gain a specific tax deduction for their political gift or contribution to political parties and Independent candidates and members but retains the availability of this deduction for individuals, other than in the course of carrying on a business, up to the current threshold of $1,500. Furthermore, businesses are not able to deduct political donations under the general business expense deduction provision, but the application of this provision to individuals seeking to deduct political donations would remain unchanged. Accordingly, the House of Representatives does not accept the Senate amendments and has substituted other amendments.

I make one final suggestion to the coalition: get on board. If you truly believe in the intent of the government’s amendments, you will vote with the government and we will all go away at least feeling that we have had a proper debate rather than this ruse with the coalition pretending it only got the amendments a few minutes ago and pretending that it agrees with the intent of the government’s amendments but has had no time to look at them. I urge the coalition one last time to support the motion before the House and pass the government amendments.

Question put:

That the amendments be disagreed to and amendments made in place thereof be agreed to.

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