FOR PRESS"' -PM. No. 65,1970
RECEIPM DUTlY: OPPOSITON CHALLENGE
Comment by the Prime Minister, Mr John Gorton
Mr Whitlam seems to be under two false impressions. One
is that it is he and not the Government which decides what are election
issues. The other is that he is thwarting the Commonwealth
Government when in fact he is thwarting the States.
He is apparently threatening that the Labor Party in the
States House, the Senate, will deny the States access to a field of
growth tax to which they want access, and trying to claim that this
affects the Commonwealth Government.
In fact, in this matter, the Commonwealth Govera~ ment is
only acting at the request of the States, as the agent for the States,
to enable them to collect revenue in the future which they would not
otherwise be able to collect. This revenue would be in addition
to any agreed amounts made available from Commonwealth Reven ue
as a result of the new arrangements being worked out between us and
the States. Labor will therefore deny the States the capacity to help
themselves in the future, If he accepts this responsibility, his
quarrel is with the State Governments, not with the Commonwealth
Government, and he should direct his posturing to them.
CANBERRA, June 1970
Gorton, John
Period of Service: 10/01/1968 - 10/03/1971
Find more information on Gorton, John on the:
Release Date:
10/06/1970
Release Type:
Media Release
Transcript ID:
2239
Document:
00002239.pdf
1 Page(s)
Released by:
- Gorton, John Grey
RECEIPTS DUTY : OPPOSITION CHALLENGE - COMMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR JOHN GORTON
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