Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move opposition amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 8749 together.

(1) Schedule 5, item 2, page 16 (line 1), omit "21 days", substitute "28 days".

(2) Schedule 7, item 18, page 25 (line 17), omit "1 July", substitute "1 January".

These amendments do two things. In relation to schedule 5, as I indicated in my earlier remarks, they extend the notification period for businesses whose tax debts are being disclosed from 21 to 28 days. As indicated in earlier remarks by Labor senators, we feel that this will provide an opportunity for affected businesses to lodge an appeal if necessary and that this is a more appropriate time frame. This will enable the processes through the Inspector-General of Taxation to be accessed by affected businesses. In relation to the second amendment, we seek to amend schedule 7 of this bill, and the effect of this would be to close the superannuation salary sacrifice loophole six months earlier than initially proposed by the government. While it may have been legally acceptable, any employer who has been using this loophole has really been engaging in wage theft from their employees. It is actually quite shocking it has taken the government as long as it has to close this basic loophole. But, more broadly, I acknowledge the constructive engagement from the minister in relation to our amendments, and I thank her in anticipation of her remarks.