PRIME MINISTER
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON. P. J. KEATING MP
WHO IS LEADING THE COALITION?
" I'm absolutely committed, and our party is
absolutely committed to the Introduction of a broadbased
goods and services tax as part of tax reform.
We are preparedr t6"-take o6r political fortunes on
that as an element of the package. I am personally
prepared to stake my political career on it. We are
absolutely determined to demonstrate to people that
we are genuine about tax reform and genuine about
structural change in Australia." Joln Hewson, October 1991
The statement today by Ian Sinclair that the Coalition
may now not introduce a consumption tax requires an
immediate explanation from the current leader of the
Coalition, Dr Hewson.
Mr Sinclair said on radio:
" We're talking about the impact of a policy [ the
GST] that may or may not be implemented and a policy
that is really only a proposition that's been
advanced by the alternate government."
Either Mr Sinclair knows something that Dr Hewson does
not, or Dr Hewson has been misleading the Australian
people about what is intended under a Coalition
Government. In a radio interview only yesterday Dr Hewson said:
" I want to actually tell the truth and I refuse to
deceive people, so I've gone out and told people the
truth about the GST."
And in a press statement yesterday he said:
" We shall continue to advocate reforins... among these
are tax reforms, including a GST."
Mr Sinclair's remarks confirm speculation that Dr
Hewson's leadership is now a matter of open discussion at
the highest level of the Liberal and National parties.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that Dr Hewson œ 8
the wrong man with the wrong policies for Australia.
Dr Hewson belongs to the era of Thatcherism which is now
in the dust bin of history. The GST belongs there as
well. With Dr Hewson and the GST the Liberal Party now has both
hands tied one to a rock, the other to a hard place.
CANBERRA November 18, 1992 0-1 I I I 4U Q r, v