Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

Senator, you can call it what you like, and you will. I am very pleased that the opposition’s views on taxation have become focused on a word, but that is entirely a matter for them—obviously prioritising important issues. The Treasurer has announced the date of the tax forum, and that is as agreed with the crossbenchers. It is obviously going to be an important forum to discuss a range of taxation issues. Obviously the government have a very big economic reform agenda and, unlike those opposite, we are going to continue to work to implement the reform rather than simply do what they do, which is to oppose everything—sometimes loudly, sometimes not so.

The reality is that the government has a big economic reform agenda. We have a very clear agenda when it comes to the minerals tax, which is about recognising the enormous terms of trade boom that the country is experiencing and the importance of ensuring that Australian taxpayers get a reasonable return on that. It means also taking action on climate change, and I do not think that anybody should doubt this government’s determination to do the right thing when it comes to pricing carbon.

This will be an important contribution to the long-term tax issues affecting the country. We welcome the support of the Independents for this tax forum and we look forward to having a constructive dialogue with the participants in that forum from various parts of the Australian economy. (Time expired)