Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister for Finance, Special Minister of State and Vice-President of the Executive Council) (14:01): What we want to do is give Australians, today and into the future, the best possible opportunity to get ahead. On this side of the chamber, we understand that jobs don't grow on trees. We understand that jobs are created by viable, profitable businesses and if we make decisions in this parliament to put businesses in Australia at an ongoing, deliberate, structural competitive disadvantage compared to businesses in other parts of the world where business tax rates are much lower then we put workers here in Australia at a competitive disadvantage because, in the end, nine out of 10 working Australians work for private-sector businesses. Their future job opportunities, their future job security, their future career prospects, their future wage increases depend on the future viability and the future profitability of the businesses that employ them and pay their wages. I know that Mr Shorten and the Labor Party, which used to support the proposition— Senator O'Neill interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator O'Neill. Senator CORMANN: that it's important for Australia to be globally competitive have made a decision to sell out the interests of workers across Australia. Senator O'Neill interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator O'Neill. Senator CORMANN: The Labor Party has decided to help businesses around the world to take business and investment away from Australia. The Labor Party has made a decision to help businesses overseas lock in their competitive advantage as a result of the decisions in those countries to lower their business tax rates. Do you know what? We are a relatively small domestic market with a relatively small domestic capital market. We compete for capital and for access to markets around the world with businesses around the world. If we make it harder for business in Australia to be successful, we make it harder for Australians to be successful. If we make it harder for the businesses that employ millions and millions of Australian workers— Senator O'Neill interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator O'Neill. Senator CORMANN: to compete with businesses in other parts of the world, then we're making it harder for Australian workers to be successful. The truth is that having one of highest business tax rates in the world here in Australia will damage our economy, cost jobs and be bad for working families around Australia. The PRESIDENT: Before I call you, Senator Kitching, I'm going to remind senators on both sides of the chamber that I'm going to be particularly insistent on being able to hear the questions asked so that I may rule on subsequent points of order if they are raised. Senator Kitching, a supplementary question?