Joel Fitzgibbon Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Revenue
2:18 pm
My question is addressed to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Revenue and I warmly welcome him to the portfolio. I refer him to recent admissions in the Cole inquiry that AWB claimed tax deductions for kickbacks paid to the former Saddam Hussein regime. Minister, would the government now support Labor’s proposal to remove the loophole in the tax law—a proposal that, I should say, is consistent with OECD recommendations—so that large AWB type bribes could no longer be claimed as tax deductible facilitation payments?
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer
I thank the member opposite for his question and for his warm welcome. I say in response, though, that there was no need to follow on from such a stupid question as the member for Lilley put before. This smacks of desperation by a desperate leader and a desperate opposition in relation to the Cole inquiry.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. He was asked a very specific question: whether he would change the tax loophole related to bribes. We want a bit of relevance around here from this minister. If he does not have an answer—
David Hawker Speaker
The minister has only just begun his answer. I call the minister.
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer
The member opposite is aware that the Commissioner of Taxation is an independent person. He has the capacity to undertake investigations in relation to deductions that may or may not have been claimed by a private company. They are matters that quite rightly remain within his domain. Currently it is not within the law—
Joel Fitzgibbon Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Revenue
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. I have asked the tax commissioner to do nothing. I have asked the government to support Labor’s amendments to close the loophole in the—
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Hunter will resume his seat. The minister is entirely in order. I call the minister.
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer
I would conclude by saying that there is no capacity under Australian law for a company to claim a deduction for a payment that is considered to be a bribe in another country. The opposition knows that and the member opposite knows that. The fact is that they are running around on this issue desperate, because the Labor Party under Kim Beazley is going nowhere.
David Hawker Speaker
Before calling the next member, I would remind the Minister for Revenue that he should refer to members by their title or their seat.