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STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
PREMIER COURTS THREAT: A STATE INCOME TAX AND
CONSUMPTION TAX OR SECESSION
West Australian Premier Richard Court has made it clear where he stands on
State Income Tax and State Consumption Tax he wants both.
And while he was telling us he wants both, John Howard was slipping and
sliding on radio in Perth pretending it wasn't his policy.
I bet he wished Mr Court had a case of lockjaw. The Premier has confirmed
the Coalition's taxation policy.
The Shadow Treasurer, Peter Costello, let the cat out of the bag with his
interview with Business Review Weekly saying he would fix the so-called
" vertical fiscal imbalance" which is econo-speak for state taxes. Mr Howard
and Mr Costello have been denying it since.
But Mr Howard's difficulty is that Mr Costello was quoted directly in Business
Review Weekly.
Mr Costello said he had consulted with the conservative states and he had.
The product of this consultation was published by the Treasurer Mr Willis on
Sunday a 45-page plan by Access Economics commissioned by Richard
Court and the other conservative States and Territories for a State income tax
and a State GST.
Mr Howard is entirely conscientious at muckraking and smearing he is not at
all conscientious at producing policies.
Richard Court is so desperate to levy a State Income Tax and a State GST
that he will even use the outrageous threat of secession to get his way. And
Mr Howard is happy to oblige him. But not yet. He wants to win the election
and then introduce State taxes on the sly. Mr Costello has said as much.
This Government will do all in its power to stop the fracturing of the uniform
income taxing power of the Commonwealth.
Mr Howard wants to introduce what he couldn't at the last election a GST.
Access Economics did the work for the Liberal Party in 1993 with
" Fightback!", and they are back again.
This time it's the same proposal, but levied by the States.
When Mr Howard says that as Prime Minister, he wouldn't permit State taxes
to be levied don't believe him.
His statements on this have about as much integrity as his muckraking efforts
of the last few weeks.
CANBERRA 31 OCTOBER 1995