Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the day when the Assistant Treasurer is boasting about providing certainty for taxation of fly-in fly-out employees working overseas, there are two million Australians who derive their livelihoods from self-employment in independent contracting. They would love to have some clarity from the Assistant Treasurer. Instead, what they get is the Assistant Treasurer’s weasel words of reassurance that the government are not going to do a number on independent contractors and self-employed people, despite the fact that the government have secretly met with the unions on at least four occasions, plotting a plan to do over independent contractors and self-employed people, to drag them into the employee net, which is just what their union masters require. We get weasel words like ‘no desire to change those laws or make life more difficult for self-employed working people’. Why won’t the government simply say that they will not change the personal services income-tax laws? Why will they not simply give two million independent contractors the opportunity for the certainty of fly-in fly-out workers again?

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

Order! It being 2 pm, in accordance with standing order 43, the time for members’ statements has concluded.