We've just found out overnight that Prime Minister Turnbull is embroiled in this whole Panama Papers mess. He's just been outed as a former Director of a company set up and administered by Mossack Fonseca, the company at the centre of the biggest data leak in history.
We never thought we'd see the Prime Minister himself listed in amongst the dodgy shell corporations headquartered in tax havens. It’s no wonder his MPs aren't doing enough to crack down on corporate tax avoidance.
The election is only 8 weeks away -- and it’s going to be a tight contest. We deserve to know how deep this goes before we vote for our next government.
Tell Malcolm Turnbull: come clean and show Australia you have nothing more to hide.
Australia’s biggest companies are stashing untold billions offshore, and Turnbull has stood up for them over and over again. Now we know why.
Turnbull was on the board of Star Mining NL, a mining company set up in the British Virgin Islands by law firm Mossack Fonseca. This could mean that Turnbull actively supported companies in hiding their wealth from governments. If Turnbull wants us to take him seriously on corporate tax avoidance, then he needs to come clean on exactly how he has supported companies to avoid tax -- and how he personally stands to profit from his government’s policies.
These shocking revelations are all part of the fall-out of the Panama Papers, the biggest data leak in history. The leak has revealed 11.5 million files from Mossack Fonseca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore firm, which allegedly helped the rich hide their wealth so it wouldn’t be taxed.
This goes much deeper than one man, even our own Prime Minister. These leaks show clear that we need legislative action on tax avoidance. We need big corporations and the wealthy elite to pay their fair share so you and I don't have to foot the bill -- or miss out on vital public services.
The alternative is that we'll see more cuts to our paid parental leave, we'll be saying goodbye to free pap smears... and almost everything is on the table. We're already facing cuts to the tune of billions, affecting everything from health to education -- and we can't afford to take any more. When big corporations and the wealthy elite do not pay their fair share of tax, we’re the ones who lose out.
Right now, accountability starts here. The Panama Papers have reignited public debate and anger about corporate tax avoidance -- and the first person who has to stand up and be held accountable is our Prime Minister.
Let’s make sure Turnbull can’t duck for cover this time. Tell Malcolm Turnbull to tell us the whole truth.
Malcolm Turnbull had to alter his own declared interests last year to include the notorious Ugland house, said to be sheltering as many as 19,000 offshore corporations. Whether it’s investments in the Cayman Islands or now being named in the Panama papers, the public needs to know what he is hiding -- all the way back to his time as a Director of a tax-avoiding company.
The power of the SumOfUs community is that we can take action to demand change. Already, our community came together in the United Kingdom to demand David Cameron release his tax returns after he was named in the Panama Papers — and we won! Now, Malcolm Turnbull must do the same.
We have to know how deep this goes. The polls are telling us that the election is going to be a tough battle. While all the parties compete to one-up each other, honesty needs to be their first commitment. Can you help us clean up Aussie politics and tell Malcolm Turnbull to come out with the full truth?
Turnbull: it’s time to come clean.
More information
ABC Review. 4 April 2016.
Financial Review. 11 May 2016.