Page 4 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 16 February 1993
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ACT budget of the abolition of all wholesale taxes, the abolition of petrol excise tax, the abolition of payroll tax, the abolition of the training guarantee levy and, after the abolition of all those taxes, the imposition of 15 per cent? How much benefit is going to come to the ACT after that sum is concluded? And do not misquote.
MADAM SPEAKER: Ms Follett, I think Mr Kaine is stretching it a little for a supplementary question, but you may answer if you choose.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I believe that Mr Kaine is asking me to range into the realms of the hypothetical. Mr Kaine, I recall, berated me at one stage for asking my Treasury to do some work on Dr Hewson's proposals, work which I believe was quite reasonable. I advise him now that I will put the question to Treasury to make an assessment for me on the matters he has addressed. I will advise him in due course - after 13 March.
Goods and Services Tax - Sporting Groups
MR LAMONT: My question is directed to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Sport. The Federal coalition, if ever elected, intends introducing a goods and services tax of at least, in the first instance, 15 per cent - - -
Ms Follett: Or else they will resign.
MR LAMONT: Or resign. What effect will this have on local sporting groups?
MR BERRY: Local sports reel in horror at this prospect because they know that there will be a deleterious effect on sport. It will go backwards because of this tax. Amid all the ons and offs which are talked about by the Liberals, you cannot get past the fact that it will cost you more to belong to a sporting club. The Government has been working very hard to get the prices of Raiders tickets down. They will go up by 15 per cent under - - -
Mr Kaine: What have you done to get the price of Raiders tickets down?
MR BERRY: You have not been watching. We have introduced new ticketing arrangements, which will result in less costly Raiders tickets. But this will be completely overrun by the 15 per cent GST that will be put on by a Hewson government, if elected. This is what these people are going to be doing to local sports. They will go backwards; there is no question about that. What is more, those volunteers who work for our sports, particularly in those areas where lots of our youngsters play sport, will have to be responsible for the collection of this tax and the payment of it. They will be held responsible if they do not do it. What will happen is that there will be a new impost. If they sell a hot dog at the local sporting match, 15 per cent GST. They will have to collect the tax and pay an accountant to look after it.
Mr Humphries: Don't they pay taxes now? Are they avoiding taxes?
MR BERRY: They do not pay a GST on their hot dogs now, and that is what they will have to pay.
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