Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Obviously the minister is just going to sit there and not answer these questions. That is a perfectly reasonable question that has been asked. If we are just going to have stonewalling, it is complete contempt of the Senate. The committee stage of legislation is to answer direct questions. That was a direct question. So I will put it myself: in terms of the $550 average return to householders that Senator Cameron has referred to, which householders and where did the $550 come from? Did it come from Treasury modelling? If it did, will you now admit that 250 of the 550 in the modelling was on food, clothing and rent. Minister Cormann, can you tell me which part of the bill captures people selling food, people selling clothing and people offering premises for rent and makes them liable to be fined if they do not remove the tax impost? Which part of the bill?