Coalition struggles to get company tax votes with the debate getting nasty
MAJOR company tax cuts appear headed for defeat with the Turnbull government struggling to convince One Nation and the Centre Alliance to back its plans. The debate yesterday turned increasingly nasty between Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer.
NSW
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MAJOR company tax cuts appear headed for defeat with the Turnbull government struggling to convince One Nation and the Centre Alliance to back its plans.
The debate yesterday turned increasingly nasty with claims of political bullying, personal attacks and a bizarre spat between Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer.
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But the One Nation leader had a sliver of hope for Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, and said if the government moved on multinational tax avoidance she would reconsider her position despite no negotiations taking place yesterday.
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Senator Cormann is continuing to press the case for the company tax cuts — lowering the rate from 30 per cent to 25 per cent for businesses with annual turnover of more than $50 million — but the government still needs four Senate votes to pass the changes this week.
Senator Hanson accused her crossbench Senate colleagues of bullying her, and claimed Mr Palmer, the controversial businessman turned politician, had pressured her by threatening One Nation.
Mr Palmer, who is attempting to restart his failed political career, denied he had spoken to Senator Hanson and said she was “making these claims for publicity”.
Labor was also under fire yesterday after launching an aggressive personal attack advertisement accusing Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of having a special interest in tax cuts for big businesses because he would personally benefit through his significant investments.
Mr Turnbull hit back, and said he was being attacked for “having a quid”.
“They want to attack me and Lucy for working hard, investing, having a go, making money, paying plenty of tax, giving back to the community,” he said.
Mr Turnbull secured a victory late last week after convincing Senator Hanson and the two Centre Alliance senators — Stirling Griff and Rex Patrick — to support the government’s $144 billion decade-long personal tax cut plan.
Labor frontbencher Penny Wong tore into Senator Hanson and the Centre Alliance senators, and said if they were “serious” about rejecting the big business tax changes, they “won’t delay debate to enable more backroom deals”.
But One Nation and Centre Alliance voted against forcing the debate to start.
The government has already been successful in passing tax relief to small businesses with turnovers of less than $50 million as part of a deal struck with then senator Nick Xenophon last March.