Doorstop Interview

4 Treasury Place

Melbourne

Sunday, 20 March 2005

12.45 pm

SUBJECTS: GST and State Taxes

TREASURER:

Everybody in Australia knows that when GST was introduced, it

was introduced to replace other state taxes, and that those

other state taxes would be abolished. What we find now is

that the States have a $2 billion windfall, they are resisting

their responsibility to cut those other state taxes, and it is

an absolute disgrace that Federal Labor now believes that

those state taxes should remain, and people should be doubled

taxed with both the GST and state taxes. Now, this is just a

brazen attempt, we saw a brazen attempt by Federal Labor to

support double taxation, GST, plus state taxes and it is going

to punish consumers and business because under Federal Labor

they will pay double taxation. Under Federal Labor consumers

and business will be double taxed with both the GST and the

state taxes which it was designed to replace and it is a

disgrace. Federal Labor ought to be hauled into line for the

sake of consumers and business.