David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Hansard source

The shadow Treasurer has come forward and said that as a matter of principle those opposite do not support retrospective laws. The first point to make is that these laws are not retrospective; they are about confirming the application of laws in the way in which they have been understood, in terms of both the way the law has been expounded and administrative practice.

The second point that I would make and that I draw to the attention of the member for North Sydney is: so much for his suggestion that they do not support retrospective tax laws! I just want to name a handful of them: the Tax Laws Amendment (2006 Measures No. 3) Act 2006, the Taxation Laws Amendment Act (No. 3) 2002 and the Franchise Fees Windfall Tax (Collection) Act 1997. They say they do not support retrospectivity, but do not look at what they say; look at what they did in government.

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