Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Hansard source

On Fran Kelly's program on Radio National this morning, I was asked about my position on some aspects of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Omnibus Savings and Child Care Reform) Bill 2017 and some of the cuts that I would not agree to—cuts to some of the payments to single mothers and to pensioners and other welfare cuts that the government plan. When I spelt it out, she said, 'How is the government going to pay for it if you and other crossbenchers won't go along with that?' I said, 'Let's dig into the so-called Google tax. There's plenty of money there. Get the money from Google.' I notice that the Treasurer, Mr Morrison, has claimed that we will have with the Google tax, as it is colloquially known, the toughest laws in the world to fight multinational tax avoidance. I hope that is true. I hope that happens. He has been talking about having 40 per cent tax penalties for multinationals who do not play the game. I hope that is true. We are told the ATO is going to finally concentrate on the multinationals' tax avoidance. We hope that is true too. As we have just been told by Senator Whish-Wilson, it was Christine Milne five years ago who instigated the Senate inquiry.

Finally, billions of dollars that the government need to find for their commendable change to childcare funding here can be found from these multinational companies, and I hope it happens. Senator Hanson spoke about the Lottoland scandal this afternoon. I hope that, if Lottoland are not paying a fair amount of tax, they will be gone after too. Senator Whish-Wilson mentioned Apple in New Zealand. I had to laugh when I heard on the news: 'It has been found out that Apple in New Zealand haven't been paying their money there. With all their profits, they have paid no tax because it's all been going to Australia.' That sounds great! So we get it? No, we do not. It goes to Ireland. It does not come to Australia. It may pass through Australia, but it ends up in Ireland, because the Irish government did an Irish game and said— (Time expired)