BUSINESS
Senator BELL (New South Wales—One Nation Whip) (13:19): I seek leave to move a motion relating to the instruction to the Committee of the Whole as circulated. Leave not granted. Senator BELL: I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me immediately moving a motion relating to the instruction of Committee of the Whole.
Let's just be clear about what is occurring and why this is something we need to deal with urgently. This instruction to the Committee of the Whole is to divide the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2026 to incorporate schedule 3 in a separate bill and add the enacting words, provisions for titles and commencement, and provisions giving effect to the amending schedule.
That is because so separate is that particular element from the rest that it should be dealt with separately, and it's urgent that we do so because we are flying through this process at lightning speed. I think it's very interesting to see where people are landing here. Let me just remind people so they understand why this is so urgent.
Schedule 3, which is a huge issue with this legislation, allows for a 50 per cent capital gains discount on the sale of intermittent energy projects owned by foreign corporations. That is what we are talking about. The bill, as I said, is called the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill.
Yet here, as we are pointing out and which we are asking the Senate to deal with urgently, is the crux of the matter. Right now, the Senate is about to vote to pass a 50 per cent capital gains discount for foreign owned intermittent energy. One Nation will never accept that.
We will never support it. Anyone in this place who says they are opposed to Labor's net zero obsession would be agreeing with us. They'd be sitting here and voting against it.
What we've got is Labor moving with urgency to increase your taxes. They're moving with urgency to increase taxes for Australian companies. Yet here we find them seeking to rush through a capital gains discount for their mates with their intermittent swindle factories that are rolling through Australia, rolling through regional and rural areas and driving up the price of electricity.
Unless we act urgently to stop it, energy prices will continue to go up. Your bills will continue to go up. So what we are asking is that this be split.
It should be dealt with as a separate bill. Let's deal with those other elements, which we can support and which everyone can support, but move with urgency to turn this piece of legislation into two separate ones because that is how we get accountability. That is how we get true transparency.
We don't attach a tax handout to a bill that's supposed to be about strengthening accountability for tax adviser misconduct. We don't attach a discount to Labor's mates—the intermittent energy sector, wind and solar—rushing through rural and regional areas, destroying property rights, driving up electricity prices— The PRESIDENT: Senator Bell, you have drifted from the urgency that you are seeking.
Senator BELL: We are asking for this to be done because, if we don't do it today urgently, then this legislation will fly through. It'll go into committee stage, they'll ask a few questions, and then it will become law, unless the parliament, the Labor Party, the Greens and the crossbench come together and accept that we cannot be allowing this process, of handouts to intermittent foreign owned companies who are rushing out wind and solar across rural and regional areas, to go forward.
If anyone were seriously concerned about scrapping net zero, which was One Nation's position, they would be urgently coming to support us. They'd be sitting in this chamber next to us supporting this motion. This is the reality: when One Nation says we are going to scrap net zero, we will do everything in our power to make sure that occurs.
Senator Hanson-Young interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Hanson-Young, you'll withdraw that remark. Senator Hanson-Young: I withdraw. Senator BELL: In the short time I have left, let me repeat that right now this parliament is about to wave through a massive tax concession for foreign owned corporations that are assisting in their work driving up electricity prices.
That is not right, and we should be moving to stop it.