Page 2626 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 7 August 2013

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MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Dr Bourke.

DR BOURKE: Can the minister outline some alternative events strategies?

MR BARR: You could seek to organise a car race in the parliamentary triangle. It probably would not cost too much to establish the infrastructure for the track. It would not upset anyone in one of the busiest parts of the city. You could spend millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money trying to organise this event. You could put it on on the coldest weekend in the city’s calendar and hope to attract people. Then when they do not come, think, “Maybe we have got that a little wrong.” You could find yourself the subject of an extremely critical Auditor-General’s report and you could blow one-third of your events budget on such an outcome.

Alternatively, you could build a futsal court. You could build a futsal slab. You could put it there without any dedicated change rooms, without any seating. You could put it in a spot that was largely inaccessible to most people. Maybe over the years as the tumbleweeds roll past it might host the odd circus. They could be some alternatives.

In the end, the government’s position of supporting the growth of this sector of our economy and our capacity to deliver outcomes such as I have highlighted in terms of the economic, social and cultural benefits from our tourism events strategy, compared with what was on offer previously, demonstrates that the government has the right policy direction.

Taxation—payroll

MR SMYTH: My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, the budget anticipates an increase in payroll tax revenue of approximately 6.8 per cent in the 2013-14 financial year and increases to around 7.3 per cent per year between 2014-15 and 2016-17. Treasurer, what are the government’s general growth forecast assumptions in its calculation of tax collections from the contributing private sector?

MR BARR: There will be two factors driving those forecasts. Firstly, there will be the wage-price inflation. Secondly, there will be a factor of those in employment in that particular sector.

MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, a supplementary question.

MR SMYTH: Minister, what are the identified industries that were used in this calculation and what were their respective payroll tax values?

MR BARR: The Revenue Office will look at long-run experience and growth in this revenue line. It will look at all payers of payroll tax. It will look at wage-price parameters and levels of employment anticipated over the forward estimates.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot?

MR DOSZPOT: Treasurer, what were the government’s assumptions for wage growth for industries that are subject to payroll tax?


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