Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Palmer United Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to inform the chamber that this is not my first speech.

As the Leader of the Palmer United Party in the Senate, on behalf of Palmer United and Senator Muir of the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, I would like to inform the chamber and the people of Australia that we support the amendments put forward by the government. We support these amendments because we must remove the mining tax so that this unjust, unfair and unnecessary tax is removed from Australia as soon as possible. This tax is hurting investment in Australia and diminishing our competitiveness on the world stage.

The Palmer United Party has always supported the removal of the mining tax, but we would not allow the tax to be removed unless key elements—including the schoolkids bonus, the low income super contribution and the low income support bonus—were retained. Today, Palmer United is grateful that the government has agreed to our insistence that the mining tax be removed while still retaining these important measures.

This is a win for hardworking Australians across the country including single parents, carers, pensioners, low income earners and others who rely on much needed support to survive. Many women would have been affected by the removal of these important measures. In fact, of the 3.6 million Australians benefiting from the low income super contribution, 2.1 million are women. Retention of these measures is a win for women and a win for the most vulnerable in our community.

The amendments we have initiated and secured the government's support for—and which are being put forward today—will ensure that the low income superannuation contribution remains in place until 30 June 2017; the low income support bonus remains in place until 31 December 2016; and the schoolkids bonus, which is means tested so that families earning up to $100,000 per year will qualify, will remain in place until 31 December 2016.

These amendments ensure these three key measures which the previous government attached to the mining tax will remain in place and protected until after the Australian people have spoken at the next election. The Palmer United Party wants to ensure that we take care of our people and treat our citizens with respect, decency and kindness. This is the Australian way. This is the Palmer United way.

Importantly, we will also support the government's proposal not to increase compulsory superannuation again—from where it is now at 9.5 per cent—until 1 July 2021, when it will increase to 10 per cent, increasing by further 0.5 per cent increments every year from 1 July 2022 onwards until it reaches 12 per cent.

Among other things, this will now leave Australian workers with more of their own money in their own pockets pre-retirement. As well, it will mean lower costs for businesses, helping them to employ more Australians. Businesses employ the majority of Australians, and we must support them to grow employment. Australians need more jobs.

The Palmer United Party and the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party have also been able to secure government support for the establishment of two important parliamentary committees. One is a joint select committee which will investigate the establishment of an Australia fund to more effectively deal with, and respond to, natural disasters. The second is a joint select committee to investigate measures to further boost Australia's trade and investment performance.

Finally, as I have indicated, we in the Palmer United Party and the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party recognise that the mining tax debate has gone on for far too long, and this is why we support the amendments put forward by the government to remove the mining tax once and for all by 2 pm today, while still retaining much needed support for hardworking Australians.