Mr. Nalder questions the Premier's support for Federal Labor's negative gearing policy, citing concerns for Western Australians with negative equity. The Premier deflects by referencing the previous government's land tax increases and criticising Mr. Nalder's past statements.

AnsweredQoN 910Legislative Assembly
Asked
8 November 2018
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QuestionView source ↗

NEGATIVE GEARING — FEDERAL LABOR POLICY
910. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. On
the basis that the Premier supports Bill Shorten's tax policy, why is
he refusing to stand up for Western Australians, many of whom are suffering
from the effects of negative equity?

AnswerView source ↗

As the Treasurer pointed out
yesterday, the member is part of the government that put up land tax three
times while in office. The member wrote a column for The West Australian saying that the government he was a part of was —
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : I want to hear
the answer.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member
wrote a column saying that the government he was a part of was anti-jobs in Western
Australia.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : In fact, some
of the things he wrote about the former government were so harsh and hostile
that even I would not have said them. A lot of misinformation has been put out
there around this policy. It is very clear that it is grandfathered, which
means, for those of you who are not familiar with that term, the existing
investors who have a negative gearing policy will be allowed to continue it
into the future. That is the policy that has been released by the federal
opposition.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Therefore, the
claim that hundreds of thousands of investors in Western Australia with
existing investment properties will be hit by this policy is not accurate—that
is my understanding—and it will not apply to new home builds. It will
apply to someone like the member for Bateman—a person of some means—who
buys an existing property after the next federal election if Bill Shorten is
successful and the policy is brought in. When the member buys an existing
property, he will not be able to negatively gear it; but if he builds a new
property, he will be able to claim negative gearing. That, to me, is not a bad
policy.

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