Page 2645 - Week 08 - Thursday, 14 August 2014
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Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Estimates 2014-2015—Select Committee
Report—government response
Debate resumed from 12 August 2014, on motion by Mr Barr:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
Mr Smyth: Madam Speaker, the Payroll Tax Amendment Bill 2014 is focused on—
MADAM SPEAKER: No, no, this is the estimates report.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (7.45): I think the report that was produced by the chair of the estimates committee was far better than the speech he just gave, and he should be commended for the report if not for the quality of his speech tonight.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Payroll Tax Amendment Bill 2014
Debate resumed from 5 June 2014, on motion by Mr Barr:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (7.46): The opposition will not be supporting this bill because this is a real attack on small business people in the ACT. The intention of the bill is to remove the exemption of genuine employers. In the briefing we had—and I thank the Treasurer for the briefing—I asked whether the government had done any work to determine the impact of the exemption and what it would contribute to the development of the business sector in the ACT, and the answer was no. This is simply a revenue grab—that is what it is about. It is a revenue grab without any work or any analysis to back up whether in the long term the budget will be better off as a consequence of it and, of course, that the people of the ACT will be better off as a consequence of it. It is astounding to ask that question and be told, “No, we haven’t. We took the decision. We think there’s 1,000 contractors.” I am told there are a lot more than 1,000 contractors. They think it will raise $10 million, but a number of people have said to me it will gain significant value beyond $10 million.
This is another piece of Labor Party tax reform that fails in what it delivers. It fails because if affects so many people in such a callous and uncaring way. On the recall day we asked the Treasurer some questions:
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