Page 2030 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 8 September 1992
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The third tax is the superannuation lump sum tax. That would remain on the Australian taxation calendar for another 40 years under Hewson's "frightpack" package. The fourth tax is the payroll tax, which, of course, the Commonwealth has no power to abolish. It is a State tax. It is far from clear whether the States would abolish their taxes on the basis of the overall package that the Opposition is offering. Liberal governments might. Even so, it is another tax that does not apply to all Australians, and it is most commonly applied by the States to employers with annual payrolls in excess of $500,000.
Another tax that the Liberals do not support is the wholesale sales tax. The important thing is that this wholesale sales tax does not apply to essential items - and I will come back to that in a minute - such as food, fruit and vegetables, dairy products, cereals and meat; nor does it apply to most clothing or any services. Let us have a look at this. You will get $30,000 off your new Ferrari, French champagne for 5 per cent less - all of interest to the Liberals - pearls for 15 per cent less, to go with your twinsets, jewellery for 15 per cent less. Furs will be 15 per cent less. Most important of all, of course, is their Ferrari for 15 per cent less.
For the ordinary family in the community they want a 15 per cent tax on basic family costs like power, haircuts, clothes and school uniforms. They are very quiet about that.
Mr Connolly: They are nodding.
MR BERRY: Nodding, yes. A pint of milk will go up 10c, a tin of baby food will go up 9c, a packet of nappies will go up $4, vegemite will go up about 70c. Sugar will go from $2 to $2.30. Bread will go from $1.33 to $1.50 and butter from $2.43 to $2.79. All this will be at the expense of getting $30,000 off your new Ferrari.
Mr Cornwell: What has this to do with the social agenda of the Follett Labor Government?
MR BERRY: We are just comparing it to the Liberals'. Here is another one of your taxes, customs duties. Mr Kaine said that you are going to abolish the taxes. This is the sixth one. That is just a euphemism for cutting tariffs to zero; that is all it is. Finally, we come to Dr Hewson's boast that he will abolish the excise on petroleum products. That coalition policy comes at a time when most other countries are increasing their taxes on petroleum products. Of course, it is environmentally immoral to reduce the price. The magnificent seven-tax promise is just a hollow, baseless promise. That demonstrates the strength of Labor governments. We are about commitments to the community to improve their standards of living, unlike the Liberals.
MR DE DOMENICO (4.22): Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am delighted to follow Mr Berry in the short time that I have available to me. Once again Mr Berry has shown us his lack of understanding of reality. People have been quoting various documents, "frightpacks", and widepacks, and all sorts of things. Mr Berry keeps shying away from one interesting document that my colleagues have talked about before.
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