Page 2159 - Week 10 - Thursday, 26 October 1989
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The situation is irreconcilable with your genuine commitment to the private sector and the role it can play in creating economic diversity and job opportunities. I urge you to withhold the current legislative proposals until there has been time for proper consultations to provide appropriate legislation consistent with your commitment.
Why did these organisations request consultation if it had already taken place? With respect, Mr Speaker, consultation does not take place by issuing a press release. The Chief Minister, proud of her first 100 days in office, stated in such a release dated 18 August that one of her achievements was to announce measures to tighten stamp duty and payroll tax legislation to prevent tax avoidance.
Does this constitute consultation? Hardly. It seems more like government by decree. This Bill is, as Mr Kaine has said, complex and the ramifications have not been thought through by the Government. It is a Bill involving specific measures with discretionary powers and it only seeks to widen the existing tax base. The increase in the ACT payroll tax will have serious consequences for small businesses. Some businesses may reduce employees and others will inevitably close.
It is time the Government gave the ACT and the business sector a fair go. The Labor Government should not make announcements which affect the economic well-being of the Territory without extensive and appropriate consultation with the business community. The Government should take care about consultation announcements that do not take place.
Because of the Liberals' diligence, we have caught the Government out. Is it not interesting that, when letters started arriving in the Chief Minister's office yesterday, she suddenly found it necessary to call an urgent meeting at 8 o'clock this morning to consult those affected?
The adjournment of this Bill should be for a sufficient period of time to allow proper consultation - time for CARD, CONFACT, ASBA, the Master Builders Association and others to consult their membership. It is not good enough for Government to organise a quick meeting overnight.
I hope that the Government can learn a valuable lesson as a result of this exercise. If it intends to continue to publicly state that it is going to consult, then it should do so, otherwise the Government should stop misleading the ACT community on its open, consultative process.
I urge this house to consider very carefully the implications of passing this Bill today. The Government has not consulted with those affected most. Its revenue loss argument is weak, having already stated in its budget papers that the Government will gain over $6m in revenue.
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