❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Treasurer regarding the Transport Minister's reported concerns about land tax increases. The Treasurer deflects, suggesting the Transport Minister answer for himself, while defending the government's land tax policy.
AnsweredQoN 287Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LAND TAX — INCREASES — MINISTER FOR
TRANSPORT'S COMMENTS
287. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Treasurer:
I refer to the comments of the
Minister for Transport, as reported in today's media, that, and I quote,
he has ''concerns'' about the adverse impact that three increases
in land tax imposed by the Barnett government have had, noting that the
Minister for Transport was the then Minister for Finance who introduced the
legislation for the Barnett government's first increase in land tax in
2014.
(1) Has the
Minister for Transport expressed opposition to the operation of the land tax
regime contained in the 2016–17 budget; and, if so, what is the nature
of that opposition?
(2) Has the
Minister for Transport proposed any changes to the current land tax regime;
and, if so, what were those proposed changes?
TRANSPORT'S COMMENTS
287. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Treasurer:
I refer to the comments of the
Minister for Transport, as reported in today's media, that, and I quote,
he has ''concerns'' about the adverse impact that three increases
in land tax imposed by the Barnett government have had, noting that the
Minister for Transport was the then Minister for Finance who introduced the
legislation for the Barnett government's first increase in land tax in
2014.
(1) Has the
Minister for Transport expressed opposition to the operation of the land tax
regime contained in the 2016–17 budget; and, if so, what is the nature
of that opposition?
(2) Has the
Minister for Transport proposed any changes to the current land tax regime;
and, if so, what were those proposed changes?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Last
I looked, the Minister for Transport is right behind me; the member should ask
him the questions. I am not going to answer on behalf of him. He is a minister
of the Crown and can answer for himself. He is a big man; he can answer for
himself.
Mr
R.H. Cook : Have you talked to him about it?
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : It is an improper question, but just a trick.
Anyway, yes, we did increase land
tax three years in a row. Last time we increased it, it was quite broadly
based. A large number of people—not surprisingly, particularly given
the significant increase in the land tax—are complaining about it. I might
add that our land tax rate, on almost all levels except the lowest, is still at
or amongst the lowest in the nation. Indeed, on most levels of land tax—$1
million, $3 million, $10 million—the amount of land tax paid this year,
despite three years of increases, is less than it was 10 years ago.
Mr
F.M. Logan : You're not convincing the Speaker.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : I do not really care about you, member.
The reason we did this—the
member for Victoria Park knows this; he has been discussing it—is that
we have a very poor set of taxes to draw money from, and one of them is land
tax; it is a major one, not the largest. It is probably our broadest base tax.
As the member for Victoria Park said in a radio interview I think a year ago,
we have to look at this. I think he said, ''Perhaps''—he
did not say he would—''we should look at broadening the land tax
base.'' That is what he said—broaden it—and that is what
we did a bit.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : No, you didn't!
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : Yes, we did.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : You increased the rate!
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : We increased the rate and broadened the base—look at
it!
We are actually just following the
member for Victoria Park's advice. That is what he said: we should look
at this. We did, and we increased it. We did not increase it this term —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : We have a set of land tax that is amongst the lowest in the
country—lower than it was 10 years ago—and it is an issue of
broadening the base of land tax to pay for all the services we provide. What I can
assure the public of Western Australia is that we will be easier on land tax
owners than the other side.
I looked, the Minister for Transport is right behind me; the member should ask
him the questions. I am not going to answer on behalf of him. He is a minister
of the Crown and can answer for himself. He is a big man; he can answer for
himself.
Mr
R.H. Cook : Have you talked to him about it?
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : It is an improper question, but just a trick.
Anyway, yes, we did increase land
tax three years in a row. Last time we increased it, it was quite broadly
based. A large number of people—not surprisingly, particularly given
the significant increase in the land tax—are complaining about it. I might
add that our land tax rate, on almost all levels except the lowest, is still at
or amongst the lowest in the nation. Indeed, on most levels of land tax—$1
million, $3 million, $10 million—the amount of land tax paid this year,
despite three years of increases, is less than it was 10 years ago.
Mr
F.M. Logan : You're not convincing the Speaker.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : I do not really care about you, member.
The reason we did this—the
member for Victoria Park knows this; he has been discussing it—is that
we have a very poor set of taxes to draw money from, and one of them is land
tax; it is a major one, not the largest. It is probably our broadest base tax.
As the member for Victoria Park said in a radio interview I think a year ago,
we have to look at this. I think he said, ''Perhaps''—he
did not say he would—''we should look at broadening the land tax
base.'' That is what he said—broaden it—and that is what
we did a bit.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : No, you didn't!
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : Yes, we did.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : You increased the rate!
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : We increased the rate and broadened the base—look at
it!
We are actually just following the
member for Victoria Park's advice. That is what he said: we should look
at this. We did, and we increased it. We did not increase it this term —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : We have a set of land tax that is amongst the lowest in the
country—lower than it was 10 years ago—and it is an issue of
broadening the base of land tax to pay for all the services we provide. What I can
assure the public of Western Australia is that we will be easier on land tax
owners than the other side.
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