Earlier this year the Fairfax Media reported
modelling by a senior chartered accountancy firm showing
lifting the GST to 15 per cent could potentially raise
twice as much - $256 billion – if all GST exemptions
were lifted.
On Sunday Lawrence Springborg said the LNP was not
opposed to considering the idea of increasing the GST
rate.
"However there would be list of caveats to that,"
Mr Springborg said on Sunday.
Payroll tax – a tax on employees - would have to
go, he said.
"There would also have to be a real proper debate
and an undertaking within Australia to deal with the
issue of government expenditure," he said.
Mr Springborg said he was wary of any moves to
lift taxes, or raise new taxes without eliminating
regressive taxes.
"So it would have to follow an equal reduction in
regressive taxes. Plus the needs to be a very, very
mature debate in this country around expenditure," he
said.
"Because if the debate is just about new revenue,
you just then just end up adding a new tax to existing
taxes."
Queensland's Treasurer Curtis Pitt, however, has
ruled out Queensland being persuaded to accept an
increase in the goods and services tax "until all other
options had been looked at."
"Let me be very clear, a change to the GST does
not happen unless all of the states agree," Mr Pitt said
in Cairns.
"And the federal government does not have
Queensland's agreement to change the GST."
He said he feared the effect a rise would have on
battling Queensland families, and so far there had been
no mention of compensation for low-income households.
Mr Pitt said the federal government needed to take
a comprehensive approach to taxation reform, including
looking at the Medicare levy, tax dodges by
multinational corporations, and negative gearing.
"They will not get Queensland support for any
change to the GST until we can be convinced that they've
looked under every rock and looked at every other
option," he said.
"At this point, there's no suggestion that the
Queensland government will support this in any way,
shape or form."
Source:::
Brisbane Times, dated 02/11/2015.........