House debates Questions without Notice

Taxation

Tuesday, 30 September 2014 House of Representatives

Tanya Plibersek

Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition

2:06 pm

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to reports that James Hardie does not pay a single dollar of tax in Australia. Why has the government abandoned Labor's initiatives to crack down on debt shifting, which close a $1.1 billion tax loophole for multinational corporations?

Tony Abbott

Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister

2:05 pm

I think it would be remiss of me to offer observations on the taxation arrangements of any particular individual or company. But, again, I remind the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that there was more than $1 billion of tax crackdown which the former government proposed but did not implement, which this government is now pushing ahead with, and which she and her colleagues are opposing. So when it comes to cracking down on tax avoidance members opposite have no principle, no consistency and no record.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker

The member for Jagjaga is warned.