WHILE MULTINATIONALS DODGE TAX, REGIONAL AUSTRALIA PAYS THE PRICE

24 March 2017

Regional Australia will pay the ultimate price for the Turnbull Government’s failure to close loopholes in multinational tax.

Federal Member for Blair has criticised the Turnbull Government for protecting high income earners and multinationals, while crying poor when it comes to tackling regional issues.

“This is a Government intent on handing out big business tax cuts, and dodging the issue of multinationals paying their fair share of tax,” Mr Neumann said.

“If the Turnbull Government was serious about getting tough on multinationals, they would do something about the one in three big companies that pay no tax.

“Malcolm Turnbull talks a lot about debt, but has done nothing to chase the 109 companies that paid no tax on more than $1 billion in total income.

“Inequality is growing in regional Australia, and the Government needs to shift its focus away from big business and back to the lives of everyday Australians, particularly in regional Australia.”

Mr Neumann said average wages are between $20K and $40K a year less throughout regional Queensland ($55,761) than in urban areas.

There is typically double the proportion of jobless families with children aged under 15 years old in regional Queensland (14.6%).

“People are struggling. At a time when wage growth is at record lows and business profits are at record highs, what sort of country are we becoming when the Prime Minister won't take the side of working people?

“The difference between Labor and the Coalition could not be clearer. We’ll put people first, while Mr Turnbull and the Coalition look after the rich and big business.”