Page 522 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 February 1993
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Mr De Domenico: Madam Speaker, I will withdraw the words "not telling the truth" and I will say that Mr Berry's statement is incorrect. Who is telling lies now?
MR BERRY: Come on! I think you are being entirely flexible, Madam Speaker, and good on you; but I think it will soon wear thin. Jockeys who opt against registration must pay GST on all inputs obtained from being registered - they would pay GST on boots, saddles, transport needs, et cetera. They would not issue GST invoices for payments. Horse owners will prefer to use jockeys who issue invoices. This will lead to pressure on jockeys below the $50,000 threshold to register for the GST. Every business in Australia with a turnover over $50,000 will become a tax collecting agency. You know that. Racing clubs with a gross turnover of more than $50,000 must register. GST will be charged on all purchases - - -
Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Is it within the standing orders that the Minister should read a pre-prepared speech in question time? I keep coming back to this point of order, but we do have standing orders about brevity and making speeches during question time. I think the Minister's attention should be drawn to those standing orders.
MR BERRY: There are no standing orders about interrupting the speaker when you are in pain.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! I am sure that Mr Berry is well aware of the requirements of the standing orders. Please proceed, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: One issue in relation to this is that the answer has to be complete, and I am not finished yet. I should say that they should not complain about the time that they have taken up in interjections. There will be 15 per cent extra on admission charges, 15 per cent on subscriptions, 15 per cent on sponsorship. As I said, Dr Hewson's hand will be in the pocket every time you stick your hand in your pocket. Sponsorship must be increased by 15 per cent to have the same value. If the sponsor is GST registered, they can claim a refund; if they are exempt, no refund.
In Canada, the GST costs small businesses $4,000 to set up the administrative system and $6,000 each year in recurrent costs. Add that to 15 per cent on everything to do with horses from the womb to the tomb and you have Dr Hewson's bright plan for creating jobs. This tax on the racing industry will put 40,000 people out of work. The racing industry is a massive employer across Australia. The GST in New Zealand has damaged horseracing in New Zealand; it has damaged horseracing in England. Everywhere there is a GST it has damaged the racing industry. You people claim that you are interested in the creation of jobs when you know darn well that this GST is going to damage a great job creator in this country, the racing industry. This will be enough to damage or even destroy the racing industry. In New Zealand, as I have said, prize money has plummeted, as has the overseas ownership of champion horses. We race a lot - - -
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