Opposition Leader questions the Premier regarding the deferral of stamp duty abolition on non-real property transactions, accusing him of breaking an election promise. The Premier acknowledges the decision and cites the state's financial situation as the reason.

AnsweredQoN 142Legislative Assembly
Asked
16 May 2013
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

STAMP DUTY
DEFERRAL
142. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
decision to cancel small business tax cuts announced yesterday.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that this is clearly a broken promise, considering that he did
not disclose this decision before the election and issued circulars stating
that the tax cuts would be delivered?
(2) Will the Premier apologise to the state's small
business people for this broken promise?

AnswerView source ↗

(1)–(2)
This is not a tax that relates only to small business. It does affect small
business but it affects all business. The decision to defer the abolition of
stamp duty on non-real property transactions was not contemplated during the
election. It was a decision that was taken at a very recent cabinet meeting
because of the financial situation in which this state finds itself. I regret
that. I regret any decision to not reduce taxes, but that is the financial
reality that Western Australia faces. It is not an additional tax; it is
maintaining a tax that is in place. As I said yesterday, most other states in
Australia have either retained this tax or reinstated it; there is therefore
consistency across the country.

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