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

I thank Senator Cormann for the question. It is true that he did give me a letter earlier today. It was a very long set of questions, I have to say. I am disclosing that in the interests of transparency. I did also say to him—and I think he knew I would say this—'That does not make it a question with notice, of course, Senator'. I thank him for the courtesy, but I suspect I will not be able to provide him with precisely the answer he wants.

I will make a few points. First, it is the case that the government in MYEFO has reduced the anticipated take from the MRRT—and the senator would be aware of that—by some $4.3 billion. In terms of the first instalment, it is correct that the first instalment was due only a few days ago. I am advised that Treasury will provide final numbers to the government once they have complied with their legal obligations and completed analysis.

As is the practice, and as is appropriate, ministers will not receive any information about individual companies, as a result of ATO privacy provisions. The government will obviously release information on resource tax collections each month in the normal way, commencing from the October monthly financial report, due out in December, subject to the same taxpayer confidentiality rules that have long applied, including when those opposite were in government. It is also the case that the drop in the MRRT take is obviously as a result of a very significant downturn in commodity prices in the financial year to date.