Senator COOK (2:33 PM) —My question is to Senator Coonan as the Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer. I note the minister has said she has not read the article in the Business Review Weekly of 4-10 March, entitled `Blackguards of the boom', but I do ask the minister whether she has read the boxed section in the BRW article titled `Houses of ill repute' which gives an example of spouses falsely claiming two separate principal places of residence to avoid land tax relating to a weekender? Has the minister discussed with state Treasurers the risk to state revenues, in particular to land tax, of spouses falsely claiming separate principal places of residence?

Senator COONAN (Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer) —This is not a matter that comes within my portfolio; it is to do with land tax. Not only is it something that I would not discuss with state Treasurers but it is also not something over which I have any legislative or other control.

Senator COOK —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question in view of that answer. Can I ask the minister what sort of information state governments could provide to the Australian tax office, which is in her area of responsibility, that would assist in identifying spouses who may be falsely claiming separate principal places of residence to avoid capital gains tax, which is also in her area of responsibility? What action has the minister herself taken to ensure that information is made available to the tax office to enable a crackdown on this tax avoidance rort?

Senator COONAN (Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer) —I must say in relation to that supplementary that I do not have any information that could assist the tax office or indeed any state legislative authority or state taxing authority relating to that matter, either personally or in any capacity as a minister. It is not something that arises. Whilst I acknowledge that this is just a continuation of a grubby attack on me that did not come off last year, it clearly shows the Labor Party have got nothing to do in looking at any of the issues that are important to Australians and to the tax revenue. Rather than asking me questions that have absolutely no relevance to any issue of fact, why don't the Labor Party do something for the taxpayers of Australia and end the Centenary House rent rort rip-off that the Labor Party has done nothing about for— (Time expired)