Mr AH KIT - 1998-06-16
Last week, the Housing Industry Association said a 10% goods and services tax would raise the cost of an average $110 000 home by more than $8500, and would reduce building activity and employment. Is the Treasurer concerned about the extra $8500 Territorians will have to pay for their homes? Will the Treasurer continue to support a GST when industry experts claim it will reduce building activity and drive employment down? Further, what evidence or research does the Treasurer have to justify his support for a GST, and will he table it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, all that from a man who has not seen - and of course none of us has seen - any GST policy. We do not know the basis of the proposed tax reform because it has not been released. The member for Arnhem is asking me to comment on something that I have not seen. While he may be stupid enough to do something like that, I am not.
It is interesting that the member for Arnhem will always choose the negative aspect. The opposition will always choose the negative aspect and will try to chip away at something. Members opposite are unproductive and are always, of course, careful to avoid any ...
Mr Ah Kit: You do not know whether you support it now.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arnhem.
Mr REED: Always careful to avoid making any comment about someone who is positive in relation to some form of change. If this country does not experience some form of tax reform, and I think it has to be quite extensive, it will be in diabolical trouble as a nation in the years to come. Tax reform is long overdue in this country. We have an aged system which is no longer appropriate to the current circumstances in Australia. If it is not reviewed, we will find ourselves in particularly difficult times in the years ahead.
To give it credit, over the last few years, the Coalition government has wound back the $10 000m black hole that the Labor Party left it with. From that point of view ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: Even Gareth recognises it was there. He admits it. The federal shadow treasurer has admitted it was there. I think, therefore, that even the members opposite have to acknowledge that the $10 000m black hole did exist. Had that black hole not been filled, and that position not been rectified, as a nation we would be in diabolical economic trouble now, given the problems to our north with the South-East Asian economies. We are now much better able to withstand what is happening. However, if we do not proceed with tax reform, we will find ourselves in a difficult position in years to come.
Returning to the question asked by the member for Arnhem, I know that he and his colleagues do not have the gumption to tackle hard issues. They do not have the capacity to focus on difficult issues, nor do they have a vision of where this country should be in another 5 to 10 years time. Until they acquire vision, expertise and ability to tackle hard issues and confront the problems that face this country, they will not proceed from the point they are at at the moment.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, all that from a man who has not seen - and of course none of us has seen - any GST policy. We do not know the basis of the proposed tax reform because it has not been released. The member for Arnhem is asking me to comment on something that I have not seen. While he may be stupid enough to do something like that, I am not.
It is interesting that the member for Arnhem will always choose the negative aspect. The opposition will always choose the negative aspect and will try to chip away at something. Members opposite are unproductive and are always, of course, careful to avoid any ...
Mr Ah Kit: You do not know whether you support it now.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arnhem.
Mr REED: Always careful to avoid making any comment about someone who is positive in relation to some form of change. If this country does not experience some form of tax reform, and I think it has to be quite extensive, it will be in diabolical trouble as a nation in the years to come. Tax reform is long overdue in this country. We have an aged system which is no longer appropriate to the current circumstances in Australia. If it is not reviewed, we will find ourselves in particularly difficult times in the years ahead.
To give it credit, over the last few years, the Coalition government has wound back the $10 000m black hole that the Labor Party left it with. From that point of view ...
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: Even Gareth recognises it was there. He admits it. The federal shadow treasurer has admitted it was there. I think, therefore, that even the members opposite have to acknowledge that the $10 000m black hole did exist. Had that black hole not been filled, and that position not been rectified, as a nation we would be in diabolical economic trouble now, given the problems to our north with the South-East Asian economies. We are now much better able to withstand what is happening. However, if we do not proceed with tax reform, we will find ourselves in a difficult position in years to come.
Returning to the question asked by the member for Arnhem, I know that he and his colleagues do not have the gumption to tackle hard issues. They do not have the capacity to focus on difficult issues, nor do they have a vision of where this country should be in another 5 to 10 years time. Until they acquire vision, expertise and ability to tackle hard issues and confront the problems that face this country, they will not proceed from the point they are at at the moment.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016