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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (28 March) . . Page.. 955 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

a process which even the Labor Party, if it is prepared to be honest about this, would concede is an important reform that Australia needs to embark upon. This is the same Labor Party that back in the mid-1980s had elements pushing very strongly for such reform. If I have got that wrong, perhaps members would like to describe what sort of GST they were pushing for back in the 1980s when the Tax Summit was being held.

Mr Speaker, I am also aware that the Yellow Pages survey has also polled confidence from business in governments in Australia, and confidence in the ACT Government has increased on the last survey. I think we are now the second highest ranked government in the whole of Australia. That is a pretty good record.

MR BERRY: I ask a supplementary question. What specific support, if any, is the ACT Government providing small businesses striving to come to grips with this inequitable tax system, this Liberal onslaught on the community, that will commence on 1 July and will impose on them the obligations of tax collectors?

MR HUMPHRIES: What the Prime Minister said last night is coming true, even as we speak. Mr Berry said that people will become tax collectors. People are tax collectors now, Mr Berry. Many businesses in this community collect wholesale sales tax and other forms of taxation on behalf of government. The GST is an attempt to simplify a variety of national and state taxes into a more coherent form. What support is being offered? Mr Berry ought to be aware that the Federal Government has offered to spend approximately $500m.

Mr Berry: I talked about the ACT Government. I am not interested in the Federal Government.

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, I heard your question, Mr Berry, and I am answering it. The Federal Government is spending $500m on assistance to the non-government sector - community groups - - -

Mr Berry: What ACT government support?

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, I heard your question, Mr Berry. If you will just be quiet for a minute, you will get an answer. The Federal Government is spending $500m across Australia in assisting business, both big and small, and community organisations to understand and to embrace the GST. The ACT Government has also been involved in that process. I, for example, have attended a number of meetings and information sessions to explain to various industry sectors how the GST will impact on them. We are intending to continue the process of assisting as best we can, acknowledging however that the basic question of implementation of the GST is a matter that the Federal Government has taken on for itself.

It has been agreed between state and territory governments and the Commonwealth that the Commonwealth Government will handle that process. For example, every State and Territory has agreed that there will be no state or territory information service available on the GST. That is not going to be provided, because that would be a duplication of effort, and the Commonwealth is best placed to be able to implement and explain the

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