Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you've paid income tax once in the last 11 years you've paid more than the 79 big corporations that haven't paid a cent in the 11 years we've had the ATO corporate tax transparency data. That includes News Corp, Ford, Vodafone, Warner Bros, Virgin Australia and Dow Chemical. Toll road operator Transurban is another company that has not paid any tax over these 11 years—also a huge beneficiary of the privatisation of public road infrastructure, squeezing thousands of dollars a year out of ordinary Australians just trying to get to work each day.

But most of the 79 companies are coal and gas exporters, who are profiting enormously from Australian resources—resources that belong to all of us—exporting them overseas, paying no tax and, cherry on top, making climate change worse. Australians are left to deal with the cost of climate disasters—bushfires, floods and deadly heatwaves—but the very companies profiting off these disasters are contributing nothing back. It's time to make them pay their fair share.

And speaking of the problems with privatisation, let's talk about the abysmal telecommunications infrastructure in my electorate. A phone call can be the difference between life and death. A fall, a heart attack—our community needs to be able to reach out for help. But in my electorate, the vast majority of which is less than 20 kays from the Brisbane CBD, people are being left without basic phone and internet services. It's a result of the privatisation of our infrastructure, and the ridiculous mandate that NBN Co, set up to provide fast internet to all Australians, act like a for-profit company. It's particularly bad in areas like Brookfield, Upper Brookfield and Kenmore Hills, where recent power outages due to summer storms exacerbated the issue and, with roads cut off, led to no communication whatsoever with parts of that community. Down in Moggill, locals also report frequent issues. Even the local shopping complex doesn't have reception inside! A large commercial complex, 20 kays from the CBD, having no reception is simply unacceptable.

This week we found out the new forecast for the full rollout of the NBN won't be completed until 2040—2040! This is the result of years and years of cost-cutting. And with Telstra now in private hands, they have no real incentive to provide services if they're not profitable. We must ensure these essential services are run for public good and not profit.