Newman’s New Tax Is Costello Idea In Disguise

Media Release.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says with the State Budget just more than a fortnight away the Newman Government should be able to provide full details of its proposed big new tax.

“Unless full details are provided including a guarantee that the Newman Government’s big new tax has a limited shelf-life, the only conclusion is that this is just a backdoor way of implementing the tax on households recommended by the Costello Audit last year,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Statements by the Local Government Minister that collecting $1 billion over five years would ‘make a good start’ suggest the Newman Government wants to set its big new tax in concrete."

“If it does, who knows how much Queenslanders will be hit."

“Last year when the first Costello Audit report was presented it recommended a tax on every block of rateable land in the state." (Source: Commission of Audit Interim Report – June 2012, page 193)

“Mr Costello estimated that for every $100 tax levied the government would raise $200 million. It is uncanny that the Newman Government is now talking about a new tax raising an estimated $1 billion over five years —or $200 million a year."

“The Newman Government supposedly rejected that recommendation last year. But if it cannot provide full details of this latest proposal we can only conclude it is Mr Costello’s tax being implemented under the guise of flood repairs."

“The government should detail the exact levy, who pays, how they pay, how long it will be imposed, and what specific projects will be funded."

“The Newman Government has already broken its promises to cut the cost of living by reducing water, power, and car rego bills and now it wants to impose a big new tax,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said if the Newman Government was serious about funding “betterment projects” as part of disaster recovery efforts, it needed to sensibly discuss current disaster relief arrangements with the federal government.

Ms Palaszczuk said she doubted claims by the Local Government Minister that no decision had been made on a state flood levy.

“It is beyond belief that the Local Government Minister floats this idea just weeks before a State Budget but insists no decision has been made on whether or not to include $1 billion in the forward estimates,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk also noted LNP MPs were vehemently opposed to the Federal Government’s temporary levy imposed after the 2010-11 summer of disasters in Queensland.