2015-12-09
Greens Treasury spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that Labor Premiers are selling out poor Australians by joining their Liberal colleagues in discussing a rise to the GST while ignoring subsidies to the very wealthy. Mr Bandt called on State Premiers and the Federal Liberal government to raise revenue by ending fossil fuel subsidies and unfair tax breaks instead of raising the GST.
“Tax reform should start at the top, not the bottom. Yet Labor Premiers have joined with Liberal colleagues to discuss raising revenue by increasing the GST while turning a blind eye to fossil fuel subsidies and unfair tax breaks,” Mr Bandt said.
“This is disappointing. Labor should be joining the Greens in standing with low-income Australians and fighting any rise to the GST, not canvassing how they can raise the GST to 15 per cent or extend it to fresh food, health and education.”
“Instead of raising revenue by making the poor pay more, we should stop spending billions of dollars of government money each year subsiding fossil fuels.”
“If we get rid of fossil fuel subsidies and stop paying so that the likes of Gina Rinehart can buy cheap diesel fuel we could raise $13.8 billion over four years.”
“At a time when 40 countries across the world have agreed to end fossil fuel subsidies, Labor Premiers have joined Liberal governments in ignoring these dangerous subsidies. Instead they are looking at how they can make poor Australians pay more for everything they buy.”
Media contact: Adam Pulford, 0429 109 054