Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Cormann. Does the government agree with Treasury that when some taxpayers avoid or minimise their tax in a sustained way the tax burden eventually falls on other taxpayers?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, and that is why the government is working very hard to ensure that does not happen.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister that that is the case. Could he explain then why the government took the advice of the big banks and the big end of town and refused to join the early adopters in signing information-sharing agreements at the G20 on tax? And why did he say in MYEFO said that it would not proceed with a targeted anti-avoidance provision to address certain conduit arrangements involving multinational corporations?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia has led the charge through the G20 in really driving the agenda when it comes to making sure that multinational companies pay their fair share of tax in those jurisdictions where they generate their profits. The Australian government is totally committed to making sure that every business that generates profits here in Australia pays their fair share of tax in accordance with our laws in relation to those profits.

There have been some further improvements agreed at the G20 and those improvements are being implemented in an orderly and responsible fashion to ensure that there is not a disproportionate impact on banking clients across Australia when it comes to passing through any additional costs that come with that. I would ask the Greens: why are you not supporting our efforts to ensure that tax subsidies on research and development are not going to the most profitable companies around Australia, including multinational companies? Why are you opposing a labour-saving—(Time expired)

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I ask the minister why the community should not see the Treasurer as engaging in huff and puff when he talks about cracking down on tax avoiders when he did not agree to sign up early to information sharing by announcing in MYEFO that he would not proceed with getting rid of those tax avoidance provisions? Why should the community believe the government is doing anything other than protecting the tax avoiders in keeping their tax havens?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I find it very hard to take that question seriously, because Senator Milne as the leader of the Greens is right now fighting for a windfall gain for big oil. Right now Senator Milne as the leader of the Greens is fighting to ensure that taxes collected by the government in relation to fuel excise indexation are reimbursed to fuel importers and to fuel manufacturers in Australia. We have here the leader of the Greens—unprecedented in the history of Australia—who is fighting for regular reduction in the real value on the tax on fuel, who is fighting to give a windfall gain to big oil, who is fighting for less investment in public transport. When we have the leader of the Greens coming in here with crocodile tears trying to tell the government what we are and are not doing, I find it very hard to take her seriously. I am waiting for the Greens to wake up and to prosecute regime change in the Greens. I cannot wait for a secret ballot in the Australian Greens Party.