LIBS HAD CHANCE ON TAX REFORM BUT RAN FROM TAX REVIEW PANEL

Greens Would Welcome Their Re-Engagement – Instead of Libs Heckling From the Sidelines

The Tasmanian Greens today said that the Liberals’ Treasury spokesperson, Peter Gutwein MP, seems to want to tie the Treasurer’s hands on the 2012-2013 State Budget by demanding that Treasurer Lara Giddings immediately rule out increasing any taxes or fees.
Greens Treasury spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that Treasurer Giddings – or any other Treasurer – would be unwise to rule out adjusting taxes or fees, given that there may be good reason for collecting more revenue from one area so that relief can be offered in another, not least the fact that inflation is devaluing many taxes and fees by about 3% per annum.
“A politician of Mr Gutwein’s experience knows this already, which makes his demand today all the more hollow,” said Mr Morris.
“I am sure that if Mr Gutwein were Treasurer, he would want to retain the ability to adjust taxes and fees up or down according to the policies that he was implementing; today’s statement confirms that the Liberals are a policy-free zone.”
“If Mr Gutwein was actually interested in being the Treasurer, he would have ensured that his leader talked to the Greens after the last election, instead it seems he is happier in responsibility-free Opposition, where he is increasingly out-to-lunch on Treasury matters with his ill-thought out demands.”
“When the Liberals ran away from the tripartite Tax Review last year, they demonstrated that they could not be trusted to act in the best interests of Tasmanians and that they are also increasingly out of step with the TCCI and the Small Business Council, which both continue to call for the tax system to be reviewed and reformed.”
“The Greens are strongly committed to supporting a responsible budget that drives further productivity improvements in the public service and maintains of levels of service to the community.”
“We acknowledge that the GST and State revenues are currently not growing and therefore all the usual and ordinary tools a Treasurer might use to maintain services need to be available.”
“Mr Gutwein knows this, which makes his pre-Budget call on the Treasurer to make this sort of guarantee a political stunt to disguise the Liberals’ economic policy vacuum.”
“The Greens would welcome the Liberals’ re-engagement with the Tax Review panel, as would the Tasmanian business community and, indeed, the wider community,” said Mr Morris.
Tim Morris MP Greens Acting Leader & Treasury Spokesperson