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PRIME MINISTER 11/ 93
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
DR HEWSON AND " THE TAX CHEAT MENTALITY"
It has been revealed today that Dr Hewson believes the
tax minimisation scheme he was involved in amounts to, in
his own" woTr-ds, ". 6tax cheatery."
As part of an address to the National Press Club a little
over a year ago Dr Hewson attacked the very practices of
which he knew himself to be guilty.
He described at length tax minimisation of the exact
variety he was involved in 88 part of what he called " the
tax cheat mentality" in Australia.
For the past few days Dr Hewson has defended his tax
minimisation practices.
He and other Liberals have viciously attacked me and the
Government for raising legitimate questions about a
person who says it is okay for a wealthy person to
minimise tax, while wage and salary earners must pay
per cent on everything they buy.
In his address he even attacked people who minimised tax
to 15 per cent instead of paying the top rate of 47
cents! He actually nominated the 15 per cent average tax
rate.
With all the compassion he could muster he bemoaned the
fact that these opportunities were not available to the
average PAYE taxpayer.
He attacked those who used superannuation to minimise
tax: " They want to talk about tax rorting, people are
using superannuation as a basis of minimising tax
pay 15 per cent on an employer contribution on
superannuation and downther
peK enLaidJon hatinnMe st11l rubtantial1y
lass than the topax rate of 47 cents."
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There was also scope for other minimisation practices, he
said, but " those opportunities and a host of others are
not available to the average PAYE taxpayer, they are part
of the tax cheat mentality or tax minimisation mentality
that exists in Australia."
He knew when he was saying those words he was describing
an arrangement which he had himself previously entered
into. Dr Hewson's Press Club remarks reveal him as being
totally insincere with the public end two-faced.
CANBERRA January 29, 1993