State Major Bank Levy

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): On a supplementary: what economic modelling did the government request on this tax, especially around what employment—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: What economic modelling did the government commission for their own state-based bank tax?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:35): As I already said—and it's an inconvenient truth for the Hon. David Ridgway—his own mates in Canberra have stated that the banks are undertaxed to the tune of $4 billion. Now, if he is calling his mates in Canberra a liar that would be a turn-up—for him to disagree and for his party to disagree for the first time with what their overlords in Canberra want to do. It is the modelling from the federal Liberal government that they are undertaxed to the tune of $4 billion.

I welcome the fact that he and his conservatives—the grandmaster flash faction of the state Liberal Party—have rolled the member for Dunstan on this because I think it provides a great point of difference between the priorities of the Labor government for small businesses in this state and the Liberal opposition, who kowtow to the top end of town.