Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wasn't going to speak on this, but I feel as if I need to. I've been motivated to speak on this Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Amendment (Using New Technologies to Fight Climate Change) Bill 2023, following the contributions from Senator Faruqi and Senator Pocock. I greatly admire Senator Pocock's sincerity and his dedication in this place, and I think he knows that. I do want to get some facts on the record in relation to tax paid by oil and gas companies in this country.

If you listened to the contributions from the crossbench, you would think our major oil and gas companies are not paying any tax and aren't paying any petroleum resource rent tax. The facts are to the contrary, and, in the three minutes I've had sitting here preparing for this contribution, it wasn't hard to find the facts. This is how much Woodside paid in taxes and royalties for the year ending 30 June 2022. Just reflect on these figures and how important these figures are as this country struggles to fund the NDIS for disabled Australians; struggles to fund appropriate health care, especially in our remote and regional communities; and struggles to make sure that kids going to public schools are able to benefit from the facilities they should have a right to expect in a First World country. So just reflect on these figures in terms of tax contributions. This is just one company.

Sorry, I couldn't hear the interjection.