Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank Senator Cameron for going and giving instructions to Senator Whish-Wilson to call a quorum so that more people would come in and listen to the question I'm putting to the minister. So I thank the Labor Party and the Greens for filling up the chamber to listen to my words of wisdom—well, not really words of wisdom, but the serious questions that I'm asking the minister in relation to this.

I was indicating that Senator Storer couldn't understand how this would help Australian workers. But, as I say, I would ask him, really, to speak to some of the business leaders who do understand this—who have skin in the game, so to speak—and understand the importance of the Australian tax system being competitive with others.

I also raise the issue of some other Queensland companies. I'm sorry for being parochial, but I'm familiar with these Queensland companies. Senator Hanson, who's also from my own state, knows these companies. You know the Kilcoy processing company there. You know Teys Bros. You know JBS. You know the AA Company, another company involved in meat processing with substantial Queensland assets. Senator Hanson, like me, you understand and know these companies. These are not the huge multinationals. These are Australian companies struggling to compete in a very competitive world. As I mentioned before, they all pay their workers proper wages, as they're required to do in Australia.