Mr AH KIT - 2000-02-23
The GST will cost business, governments, charities, school councils and other organisations required to register for GST purposes some $2400m nation wide to implement. The Territory economy ...
Mr Burke: How much will yours cost?
Mr AH KIT: When the Chief Minister stops being rude. The Territory economy is a little over 1% of the Australian economy. That means Territory business is likely to pay, or share in the burden of paying, around $250m in the GST implementation costs. My question to the Minister for Industries and Business is, how does an extra $250m on the back of Territory businesses help business growth and profits?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is a good question and the first and foremost thing I would say is that I won’t rely on the quotes made on the economic figures by the shadow minister for business. I’m not sure where he’s getting them from, but we’ve had priors from him and from members opposite in regard to quotes that they make. Unreliable. The question I have for him is the same question that the Chief Minister has been posing all morning. What is it that they are going to do in light of what Kim Beazley has been saying?
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The question asked is simple.
Mr SPEAKER: I rule again. There is no point of order. The minister has some scope in answering the question.
Mr STIRLING: To ask the opposition questions?
Mr SPEAKER: Sit down.
Mr PALMER: A point of order, Mr Speaker! You have previously made rulings on this.
Mr SPEAKER: That’s correct, and I’ve just advised the member that that’s the case.
Mr PALMER: Mr Speaker, as I said, they’re using points of order as a way of disrupting the good conduct of the business of this House.
Mr SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr PALMER: I understand that you do have the power to ignore their call for points of order, if you have previously made a ruling on that particular point.
Mr SPEAKER: I’m sure, and in fact I sat the member down. Until I hear what he has to say, I don’t know.
Mr BALDWIN: It is evident, in my view, that what the opposition is trying to do is just fuel the fires of fear, and that’s all they can do because they don’t have any answers. They don’t know the detail, and the way that Beazley’s going, and the way that this mob is following Beazley, is just really to incorporate fear into the community. Businesses will be better off. A 30% tax rate for businesses. Go and ask businesses whether they want a 30% tax rate. What are you going to give them? What are you going to give them under Beazley’s promise? 30% tax rate for businesses, for companies. $40 to $50 more for individuals. Go and talk to the Kiwis about what they think of GST. Go and talk to the Canadians. Go and talk to the South Africans.
As the Chief Minister said, what you want is for us to follow the way of Botswana, Ghana, Jordan, Pakistan, the Solomon Islands and Swaziland. The only countries left in the world with a wholesale sales tax regime. And that’s what they want. Go and tell your constituents. It is incumbent on the Leader of the Opposition to go and tell the people of Port Darwin, who live in a climate of an election, that they’re not going to be better off. Tell them what she’s going to do with their $40 to $50 a week in their pocket. Tell the business people in the electorate of Port Darwin that they don’t need 30% tax rates. That’s what should be done here.
Tell those constituents how we’re going to maintain and increase revenues to the Northern Territory in the future. Not under their scheme, they’re not telling anything, they have a lot to hide. Tell them how they’re going to maintain cuts to company tax rates and those weekly cuts to individuals.
It’s incumbent on the Leader of the Opposition to go and tell the constituents of Port Darwin how they’re going to maintain that. GST is part of a package that is going to be good for business in this country, like it is good for every other country which has implemented a regime including a GST package. Go and talk to those countries that have implemented it, and go and talk to businesses about how they think that it will be good for them. I’ve taken people, a business delegation, to New Zealand, and the word back from there is that they would never go away from that tax regime.
Mr Burke: How much will yours cost?
Mr AH KIT: When the Chief Minister stops being rude. The Territory economy is a little over 1% of the Australian economy. That means Territory business is likely to pay, or share in the burden of paying, around $250m in the GST implementation costs. My question to the Minister for Industries and Business is, how does an extra $250m on the back of Territory businesses help business growth and profits?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is a good question and the first and foremost thing I would say is that I won’t rely on the quotes made on the economic figures by the shadow minister for business. I’m not sure where he’s getting them from, but we’ve had priors from him and from members opposite in regard to quotes that they make. Unreliable. The question I have for him is the same question that the Chief Minister has been posing all morning. What is it that they are going to do in light of what Kim Beazley has been saying?
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The question asked is simple.
Mr SPEAKER: I rule again. There is no point of order. The minister has some scope in answering the question.
Mr STIRLING: To ask the opposition questions?
Mr SPEAKER: Sit down.
Mr PALMER: A point of order, Mr Speaker! You have previously made rulings on this.
Mr SPEAKER: That’s correct, and I’ve just advised the member that that’s the case.
Mr PALMER: Mr Speaker, as I said, they’re using points of order as a way of disrupting the good conduct of the business of this House.
Mr SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr PALMER: I understand that you do have the power to ignore their call for points of order, if you have previously made a ruling on that particular point.
Mr SPEAKER: I’m sure, and in fact I sat the member down. Until I hear what he has to say, I don’t know.
Mr BALDWIN: It is evident, in my view, that what the opposition is trying to do is just fuel the fires of fear, and that’s all they can do because they don’t have any answers. They don’t know the detail, and the way that Beazley’s going, and the way that this mob is following Beazley, is just really to incorporate fear into the community. Businesses will be better off. A 30% tax rate for businesses. Go and ask businesses whether they want a 30% tax rate. What are you going to give them? What are you going to give them under Beazley’s promise? 30% tax rate for businesses, for companies. $40 to $50 more for individuals. Go and talk to the Kiwis about what they think of GST. Go and talk to the Canadians. Go and talk to the South Africans.
As the Chief Minister said, what you want is for us to follow the way of Botswana, Ghana, Jordan, Pakistan, the Solomon Islands and Swaziland. The only countries left in the world with a wholesale sales tax regime. And that’s what they want. Go and tell your constituents. It is incumbent on the Leader of the Opposition to go and tell the people of Port Darwin, who live in a climate of an election, that they’re not going to be better off. Tell them what she’s going to do with their $40 to $50 a week in their pocket. Tell the business people in the electorate of Port Darwin that they don’t need 30% tax rates. That’s what should be done here.
Tell those constituents how we’re going to maintain and increase revenues to the Northern Territory in the future. Not under their scheme, they’re not telling anything, they have a lot to hide. Tell them how they’re going to maintain cuts to company tax rates and those weekly cuts to individuals.
It’s incumbent on the Leader of the Opposition to go and tell the constituents of Port Darwin how they’re going to maintain that. GST is part of a package that is going to be good for business in this country, like it is good for every other country which has implemented a regime including a GST package. Go and talk to those countries that have implemented it, and go and talk to businesses about how they think that it will be good for them. I’ve taken people, a business delegation, to New Zealand, and the word back from there is that they would never go away from that tax regime.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016