PM Transcripts

TEL 140/ 92
The Opposition has decided to bury the Cole Committee's report because it threatcned to
destroy the Goods and Services Tax once and for all.
Since March, Coalition members havc been ducking legitimate criticism of their. policies
by referring all callers to the Cole Committee and promising that their criticism would be
considered there.
The Committee has, in turn, prepared a damning report which has swollen to 800 pages
longer than the original Fightback document.
Sir William Cole was told by Dr Hewson a month ago that his . cprt was unacceptable
_ politically, and he should clean it up.
But even the censored version has proved too hot for Dr Hewson to handle, and he is
reneging on his promise to release the report before Christmas. In fact, he will not dare
release it before the election.
This is a betrayal of all those groups cane farmers, tourist operators, bankers, builders,
car manufacturers and others who were fobbcd off with clear promises of consideration
and who must now be left with a better idea of what Dr Hewson's word is worth.
For their benefit alone, the Opposition should come clean and release the report, no matter
how critical it is of Fighiback and the GST.
At the insistence of his p. r. minders, Dr I-ewson has been talking this week about
" listening" to people; his decision to scuttle the Cole Committee shows there is a lot of
talking going on but no real listening.
CANBERRA, December 11, 1992 11. Dec. 92 10: 26 No. 012 P. 01/ 01
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