Page 3608 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 19 October 1993
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MR CORNWELL (8.38): The Labor Party, this Labor Government, are very free with the idea that they like to support minorities. I am rising tonight as the rural spokesman for the Liberal Party to support a minority of fewer than 250 people here in the ACT - - -
Mrs Grassby: He has a couple of chooks in his backyard.
MR CORNWELL: Thank you. I acknowledge Mrs Grassby's interjection. She regards the rural community of the ACT as people who keep chooks in their backyard. I speak on behalf of fewer than 250 rural primary producers in this Territory, who are very concerned about the impact of this diesel fuel levy upon their future prosperity. As my colleague Mr Humphries indicated, it appears that it is going to cost them something like an extra $320-odd per annum if this concession is taken away. Yet this afternoon the Chief Minister herself said that originally the concession was applied with the intention to assist primary producers.
It may be passing strange that some 4,500 people currently hold exemption certificates in the ACT, although I would suggest to you that obviously they are not all primary producers. But is it the concern of primary producers that more people than the primary producers you talk about wishing to assist, Chief Minister, hold these exemption certificates? I think it is a matter for your administration to examine, but you should not be victimising this group of fewer than 250 people. The Chief Minister said:
The current scheme is burdensome to the diesel suppliers -
Mr Humphries has answered that -
and is difficult to police.
It is not difficult to police in relation to primary producers because they receive a primary producer declaration. I have seen a copy of it. It is in fact an exemption certificate for taxation purposes. There is nothing difficult about the policing of this diesel fuel concession for such people.
Mr De Domenico: You do not even need a computer to count them. There are only 250.
MR CORNWELL: Exactly, Mr De Domenico. It can be done very simply. Thirdly, the Chief Minister went on to say:
The Commissioner for ACT Revenue advises that there is widespread abuse of the scheme, with exempt fuel being diverted to on-road use in vehicles serving the construction and transport industries, as well as personal use in four-wheel drive and other diesel-powered vehicles.
Is there any suggestion in that statement that primary producers are abusing the system? I put it to you that there is not. So why would you want to victimise a small group of people in this Territory?
Mr Connolly: So the primary producers use the exempt fuel for the farm, but when they jump in the Landcruiser to go shopping they pay ordinary prices, do they? They do not use concessions when they go on holidays?
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