Oliver Curtis faces the prospect of up to five years in prison, a $220,000 fine, or both. Credit:Nic Walker "The country as a whole has a lot to gain from large companies getting a tax cut – which, to be honest, is the only reason governments would risk suggesting one," said Joyce in an opinion piece for his corporate union, the Business Council of Australia. He pointed out that every time Qantas considered an investment it conducted detailed analysis to see whether it would make money for the airline. "The amount of company tax we have to pay forms part of that analysis – so logically, a lower company tax rate will increase how often we say yes to new investment," he said. "So if you're asking the question of 'what's in it for me' when it comes to a company tax cut for big business, remember that we're all part of the same economy. And as the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats." CBD prefers to back the opinion of colleague Ross Gittins on just how much this rising tide of corporate tax cuts will lift the boat of the average taxpayer: "the Treasury modelling finds that the level of employment in 20 or 30 years' time will be just 0.1 per cent higher than otherwise."

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce knows too well that Asia is the new battleground for global airlines seeking to tap into the extraordinary growth in Chinese tourism. Credit:Ben Rushton Irish luck Joyce also mentioned his recent trip to Dublin and a taxi-driver who complained about how busy the area had become since companies like Facebook, Google and LinkedIn had set up large offices there. "But the driver then stopped himself and said, 'It's good they're here, I guess. They brought a lot of jobs with them'." Joyce attributed this to Ireland's low company tax rate. Illustration: John Shakespeare.

That's one way of looking at it. In preliminary findings in 2014, European antitrust authorities said Apple's tax arrangements were improperly designed to give the company a financial boost in exchange for jobs in Ireland. And a recent report names Ireland as one of the tax havens, which collectively suck $6 billion in tax revenue from Australia every year. And keep in mind these corporate tax cuts will cost Australia $8.3 billion a year. Corporate cell

Convicted insider trader Oliver Curtis will find out this Friday whether he will go to jail, but his professional career is already being dismantled. The company founded by his father Nick Curtis, which has employed Curtis Jr since the insider trading allegations surfaced, has disappeared from view. Riverstone Advisory has in effect been mothballed, its website has been taken down and most of the employees - other than Nick and Oliver - are trading under the name of a separate company that shared Riverstone's address and phone number: HHK Advisory. This includes Kevin Hobgood-Brown, Riverstone's former boss who was among those who vouched for Oliver Curtis' character at last Friday's sentence hearing before Justice Lucy McCallum. Hobgood-Brown described Curtis as a "a role model to others" and said there was a "close to zero" chance of him reoffending.

Curtis' wife, publicist Roxy Jacenko​, also made an impassioned plea for her husband to stay out of jail to take care of the kids given her 24-7 job. The closure of Riverstone Advisory will have little relevance for Curtis. Even if he manages to avoid jail time on Friday, he will be banned from managing a company, or acting as a company director for five years from the date of his conviction last Friday. If he is given a custodial sentence, he will serve a five-year ban from the day he is released from prison. John Hartman, Curtis' childhood friend and his partner in crime - who served as the prosecution's key witness - served 15 months in prison as a result of his conviction.

He is still serving an ASIC ban barring him from managing a company or acting as a company director. Hartman is now employed by the private company of billionaire Andrew Forrest. According to documents lodged with ASIC, Curtis has yet to resign as director of Riverstone. Curtis faces the prospect of up to five years in prison, a $220,000 fine, or both. But his defence argued for a non-custodial sentence given what he has been through. And in a very unhelpful move, right-wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs argued last week that white-collar crims like Curtis should be able to buy their way out of jail. Got a tip? ckruger@fairfaxmedia.com.au