Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The minister mentioned financial services now need to be there with the rest of the world, so is he going to join other members of the G20 in supporting a Tobin tax so that financial services have minimal tax applied so we can help feed the million people starving around the world? I do not think we are going to hear that from this government. I do not think we are going to hear from the government or the opposition that there will be agreement to back financial packages going to CEOs that may come through in the UK or Europe. We as a parliament here are charged to set rules for our own country. Sure, there is international trade in lots of things but there are lots of restrictions on that as well, legislated by the coalition and legislated by the opposition. That is what we are here for. We are here to ensure we do the right thing by Australians, and this amend­ment does the right thing by Australians.