Brisbane G20: First protest recreates ‘tropical tax haven’ to highlight impacts of tax avoidance

Up to 100 people have gathered in Brisbane for a rally to highlight the impacts of multinational tax avoidance, ahead of next week’s G20 leaders’ summit.

Sitting in deck chairs, sipping mocktails and listening to the Beach Boys, the group recreated a tropical tax haven.

They said they hoped “creative advocacy” would be more effective than a loud protest.

John Beckett, from the anti-poverty group Micah Challenge, said corporate tax avoidance was costing developing nations about $160 billion each year.

“[That’s] more money than they receive in aid and it’s money that could be and should be being used – we think – for essential services like education, sanitation, provision of clean water,” he said.

The group said it was happy the issue was on the G20 agenda, but it wanted concrete action to be taken to help the world’s poor.

“If these 20 nations move on these things, they cover about 85 per cent of the world’s economic activity and so if they move then the whole world comes with them,” Mr Beckett said.

Micah Challenge represents a group of development agencies and churches.

“We’re looking to be constructive, this is not just a moment or about us making a noise, this is a culmination of two years of campaigning for us on this issue right across the globe,” Mr Beckett said.

Special police powers have now come into effect today in the G20 “declared zones”.

A group of independent legal monitors also attended the rally in Brisbane’s Reddacliff Place to observe the proceedings.