Mr. Mark Redmond:

The Senator raises several issues on which I will comment briefly before handing over to Ms O'Brien.

Deputy Michael McGrath made a point about the need for certainty in the system. The Senator has also made a point about certainty. Taxpayers deserve certainty about how their businesses operate from a tax perspective. Uncertainty is unhelpful to the system.

There are a number of checks and balances in the system to protect the taxpayer, although our view is that they are not sufficient. There is, for example, a charter of taxpayers' rights and obligations in place. One element of the charter is a presumption of honesty to which all taxpayers are entitled.