Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting on Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

The government will not be supporting the amendments that we are considering in committee on the Tax Laws Amendment (2010 Measures No. 4) Bill 2010. The information that the opposition wants to include on where taxpayers’ money is spent is currently in the public domain and, indeed, Senator Cormann acknowledged this. By and large, I think overwhelmingly the detail contained in the budget papers that are presented to parliament by this government are in the same format and in the same way as those of the government of the Liberal-National Party for almost 12 years. The same level of transparency and accountability in those budget papers is that which reflects the period of the previous government, so there has been a consistency in the approach to this matter under both governments.

There has been reference to Senate estimates committees. I have been in this place now for just over 20 years. I have to say that I have been to a few estimates hearings myself. In almost 12 years in opposition, I asked a few questions—I would hate to think how many if I sat down and added them all up—in the economic and finance areas in the main. From time to time there were questions left unanswered. There was difficulty in achieving answers. I could go into a lot more detail, but I will not on this matter. From time to time it was difficult to obtain answers from ministers at the table under the Liberal-National Party government and from time to time from public servants when they were obeying their political masters, and from time to time that has happened under this government. I have been the representative minister in large parts of the finance and Treasury estimates.

The budget updates will mean that the information on the tax receipt will differ depending on when taxpayers receive their assessment. Do not forget that the amendment would require the circulation of millions of individual pieces of, presumably, hard copy at enormous cost for printing and postage and return to sender, address unknown.