Page 1821 - Week 06 - Thursday, 5 June 2014
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Sections 15 and 16 of the Land Tax Act allow land tax to be charged on only that portion of a property that is liable for land tax if the whole parcel is not land taxable. Amendments to these sections with this bill ensure that the fixed charge will not be applied in full when only a portion of the property is liable for land tax. The fixed charge will be levied on all land tax of the properties from 1 July this year. Until the successful passage of this bill a fixed charge will be implemented by a disallowable instrument. Effective from 1 October, this bill will include a fixed charge component of land tax into the Land Tax Act.
The marginal rates of land tax determined by a disallowable instrument will be significantly decreased as a result of the introduction of the fixed charge. This will ensure that land tax liabilities are distributed more equally across the taxable property types. The introduction of the fixed charge will remove a distortion in the way land tax is levied. Once effective, land tax will be more evenly distributed over the taxpayer base in the territory, removing any land tax advantages certain types of property ownership have over another.
These amendments create a more equitable way of imposing land tax in the territory and are congruent with the principles of tax reform in providing a fairer, simpler and more efficient tax system that is sustainable for the long term. It is a core commitment of this government, and I commend the Land Tax Amendment Bill 2014 to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth) adjourned to the next sitting.
Electoral Amendment Bill 2014
Mr Corbell, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development) (10.38): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
I am pleased to introduce the Electoral Amendment Bill 2014 today. This bill reflects the increase in the size of this Assembly from 17 to 25 members and provides for the election of five members from each of five electorates. The move to increase the size of the Assembly to 25 members and, more specifically, to provide for five five-member electorates is consistent with the findings of the expert reference group inquiry into the size of the Assembly in 2013. Both the Labor government and the Liberal opposition have publicly announced their support for the recommendation of the expert reference group to increase the size of this Assembly to 25 members with five members from five electorates.
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