Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like other members of the House, I have had the opportunity today to meet with a group from my local area who are participating in the Micah Challenge. I would just like to acknowledge Melissa Suddick, Kia Wallwork, Kylie Dundas, Kim John Mallari and Angela Owen, and they were also accompanied by Jocelyn Ly, from Parramatta. They came to talk to me about a very important campaign that they are running at the moment—which I hope people are familiar with because there has been a lot of activity in the parliament today—to shine the light on tax dodging and corruption.

The point they are making, which is a profound one, is that one of the best ways we could support the emerging nations and developing nations which need the opportunity to get education and health and to raise themselves out of poverty is to provide, through forums like the G20, the opportunity for developed nations to discuss the sorts of tax avoidance behaviours that major multinational companies are undertaking when they are operating in their countries. The recouping of so much more tax would mean that dependence on aid could be lessened. So it is a good initiative, and congratulations to those locals. I thank Micah Challenge for its ongoing good work.