Page 3939 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 October 1991
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MS FOLLETT: Mr Deputy Speaker, Mr Kaine has further said that he finds my budget selective and discriminatory.
Mr Duby: I think the figure is something like 20 per cent.
Mr Humphries: Something like that, yes.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Deputy Speaker, are you going to protect me from these continual interjections?
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will, when you need protection, Chief Minister, yes.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Kaine has pointed in particular to the effect of my budget on the business community. What a joke! Let us have a look at Mr Kaine's record, in budget terms, in respect of the business community.
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I can understand the Chief Minister wishing to go into some length about the former Government's budget because of the very attractive example it sets her; but the subject matter for this MPI is clearly the Follett Labor Government, its budget and nothing else. I would respectfully ask that you ask the Chief Minister not to stray into other budget matters.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I do not think she has strayed that far yet, Mr Humphries; but thank you for that. Yes, try to keep it to the point, Ms Follett.
MS FOLLETT: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. On any objective assessment, my budget this year protects the business community in a way which was certainly not the case under Mr Kaine's treasurership. Mr Kaine, who had, after all, promised to abolish payroll tax, last year increased it to 7 per cent. By contrast, in my budget I have not increased payroll tax. It was Mr Kaine, the Liberal leader, who did increase payroll tax.
In my budget, I have not touched the financial institutions duty - a major taxation measure for the business community. Last year, Mr Kaine doubled it. He increased the financial institutions duty from 0.03 per cent to 0.06 per cent, and he raised himself $6m extra in the process. He later tried to move to increase it further to 0.08 per cent and, in fact, that is its current level. So, Mr Kaine, by his own action, has increased enormously that tax on the business community. It was Mr Kaine who introduced the 3c a litre tax on petrol. By contrast, no such action was taken in my budget.
So, the matters about which the business community is complaining are largely ones for which the gentleman opposite, Mr Kaine, was responsible. Mr Kaine it was who increased the motor vehicle registration charges by 20 per cent. What a record this is for the business person's friend! He increased the municipal rates by 16.6 per cent
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