Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, can I have clarification over your comments about Australian businesses. As you may have seen, I've circulated an amendment to this bill. One Nation's amendment is to, after 'enterprises', insert the words 'which are enterprises that are either Australian owned or majority Australian owned'.

As I said before, we are seeing a lot of these companies here in Australia—and I understand they employ a lot of Australian workers—that do not pay tax in Australia. I have a problem with this. A lot of these people come out here, buy up Australian businesses and don't pay their fair share of tax in Australia, which I have been on about since 1996. The government has done a little about addressing that. I think you addressed it and you pulled in an extra $125 million in taxes from foreign companies in Australia. Here we are, expecting the Australian taxpayers to put out $100 million to prop up businesses. One Nation is very supportive of small to medium-sized businesses, and that's why we supported your corporate tax cut—up to $50 million turnover. What I want is an assurance from the government that their moneys will not go to propping up foreign companies that, at the end of the day, do not pay their fair share of tax in this country. That is One Nation's amendment. I want a guarantee from you to the Australian people that these will be Australian owned or majority Australian owned companies that this money is going to. Is it written in the bill?