Page 1258 - Week 04 - Thursday, 4 May 2006
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The government are more than happy to continue to do that. We would be happy to include this within the raft of initiatives that over time we must pursue. But, with the lack of evidence, the lack of analysis, the lack of information on precisely how it would work and on what would be the costs versus the benefits of expenditure, or a fall on revenue of the order that might be induced or produced, the government will not support this amendment at this time.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella—Leader of the Opposition) (5.45): For similar reasons to those that the Chief Minister has outlined, and I do not think there is a need to go over them, we will also be opposing the amendment.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (5.45): I will be brief, Mr Speaker. It is disappointing. I felt that there did not appear to have been a thorough discussion of these amendments from the government’s side. These amendments have been out there for quite a while. But I think that the main thing is that the government itself committed two years ago to do just what this amendment proposes. Of course there is work to be done; that is exactly what I said in my speech. There is work to be done, and we have—
Mr Stanhope: Let us make the law when the work has been done, not before it has been done.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
DR FOSKEY: To have heard a little bit more approval of the idea and commitment to get on with that work would have been positive. But we have become used in this Assembly to hearing the government not take up the good ideas at the time that they are presented in the Assembly. But we hope that, as so often appears to be happening, the government will come back with its own initiative and claim it for itself later on. After all, it has already agreed to exactly this measure. I hope that we do not hear similar woolly sorts of articulations of other agreed environmental and sustainability measures. I look forward to seeing it when it comes back from the government and I hope that is very soon—certainly before the next election, perhaps just before the next election.
Amendment negatived.
Clauses 10 to 23, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 24.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella—Leader of the Opposition) (5.47): The opposition will be opposing this clause. Everybody talks about lightening the burden of red tape on the business community, particularly small business. Well, here is the perfect opportunity for the government to prove its bona fides on this issue in order to lighten the burden on business.
This opposition to the clause relating to the Payroll Tax Act removes the registration requirement, noting that employers who lodge payroll tax returns are immediately recorded on the revenue office’s database. Under the government’s bill, there is an increased compliance burden from requiring every employer whose payroll exceeds the
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