Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—Given the hour and what has transpired over the past few days and the, no doubt, fatigue of many people in the Senate, it might be helpful if I indicate the opposition’s position in relation to Senator Siewert’s proposal. I have had a careful look at the amendment as it is framed. I accept what the government says—that the Tax Laws Amendment (2009 Measures No. 1) Bill 2009 is time critical. This is the reason that we in fact engaged a day or so ago with the minister’s office to get an assurance that the reportable employers super scheme would be looked at, and that assurance has been given.

As to the Greens amendments, the broader policy intent of income test reforms is to remove inconsistencies in treatment of certain types of income when determining eligibility for government support payments. We do note that the amendments—both the splitting amendment proposed by Senator Siewert, which really goes to excising the schedule and dealing with it in a different way, and the substantive amendments—do in effect underpin concerns of the Greens for low-income earners. I thought it would be helpful to indicate to the chamber that we believe that the amendments would be inconsistent with the measures contained in this bill that are intended to accurately reflect a person’s income for determining their eligibility for income testing. We do not believe that there would be consistency in applying two separate income-testing regimes based on a person’s total gross income. The proposed amendments in relation to the spouse superannuation tax offset would not maintain the integrity of the tax and transfer system.

Having said that, that is not to say that we do not have some sympathy for the force of Senator Siewert’s amendments. We would be very supportive if Senator Siewert were able to achieve in negotiations with the government, either now or at some later time, a better arrangement around the way in which the tax and transfer system works in relation to low-income people and also for the spouse superannuation tax offset. For the purposes of what I understand will be the debate in committee, we will not be supporting the Greens amendments.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.