Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that the Treasury secretary wants to impose a super profits tax—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Now that those on my right have assisted the member for Barker, he has the call.

Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given that the Treasury secretary wants to impose a super profits tax on sectors other than the mining industry and given that Woolworths made a profit last year that was greater than Rio Tinto’s, will the Prime Minister guarantee the security of the jobs of the 345 workers in the Big W distribution centre in Monarto in my electorate?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank very much the member for Barker for his question. He refers, of course, to Woolworths. There is a big distinction between what Woolworths would pay in company tax under this government’s proposals and what it would pay under those opposite. We would bring Woolworths’ tax down two percentage points; they would put it up two percentage points. That two percentage point increase is to fund the universally supported proposal for paid parental leave by the Leader of the Opposition, whereby he would whack a 1.7 per cent levy on Australian companies who have a turnover in excess of $5 million. Last time I looked, Woolies had a bigger turnover than five million bucks. Therefore, there is a four percentage point difference in the tax between what the member for Barker’s party proposes and what this government has put forward by way of tax reform. I also refer the member to my answer to the previous questions from the Leader of the Opposition and the member for North Sydney.