John Smith wrote on Feb 8
th, 2015 at 1:28pm:
instead of whinging about it, why not copy paste the story so the rest of us have some idea what you're on about?
Liberal MP Teresa Gambaro attacks Abbott’s mooted deficit levy
THE AUSTRALIAN MAY 07, 2014 1:29PM
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Jared Owens
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Patricia Karvelas
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Federal cabinet finalises budget details
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QST_CNN_LITERACYBrisbane MP Teresa Gambaro joins fellow promininet Liberals former treasurer Peter Costello, backbencher Warren Entsch and conservative senator Cory Bernardi in critising the debt levy. Picture: Peter Cronin Source: News Limited
Federal cabinet finalises budget detailsQST_CNN_LITERACY
VETERAN Liberal MP Teresa Gambaro has attacked the government’s mooted deficit levy as “a breach of a promise” that will have “devastating impacts on the economy”, as the Business Council of Australia cautioned against sending “unpredictable tax signals” to foreign investors.
BCA president Jennifer Westacott this morning also criticised the buying of access to politicians through political donations and attacked the audit commission’s proposal to slash the minimum wage as a “too severe and too harsh” assault on “a very important social safety net”.
A senior Liberal has cautioned Ms Gambaro against any further “pre-emptive” budget comment after she this morning joined a growing Liberal revolt against the proposed income tax increase on higher earners.
“I don’t see that there has been a case made for a debt levy and I would see it as a breach of a promise,” Ms Gambaro, a former Howard government assistant minister who holds Queensland’s highest-earning electorate, told News Corp.
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“It will have devastating impacts on the economy and people’s confidence. We went to the Australian people with the promise of being a government of no surprises.
“Playing political games of what is and what may be in the budget is a breach of trust and doesn’t provide people with the certainty that they need.”
Other prominent Liberals to raise concerns about the proposed levy – which would likely target incomes above at least $150,000 – include former treasurer Peter Costello, backbencher Warren Entsch and conservative Liberal backbencher Senator Cory Bernardi.
Senator Bernardi has used his newsletter to attack the Abbott Government’s planned deficit levy, declaring his collegues agree with him.
“Since my foray last week into the folly of tax hikes, a growing number of MPs and business people have come to a similar conclusion. Perhaps most notable was former federal treasurer Peter Costello. There are now press reports that the mooted new tax is being revised, although I hope (for the good of the country) it will simply disappear”.
“Most of the people I have been speaking to this week hope it disappears too. It seems all the budget speculation is causing serious concern for members of the community. I have had aged pensioners in tears during calls to my office because of what they think might be in the budget. Business people are worried about potential increased costs while families are concerned about how they are going to pay the bills if things are made tougher for them”.
Assistant infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs told Sky News: “I think it would be wise for Teresa to wait until Tuesday to start expressing views on the budget until she’s seen the entire budget.
“It seems a little pre-emptive for her to be commenting publicly in the media about something she doesn’t know the detail of.”
Ms Westacott warned the tax increase would curb consumer spending, slowing economic growth, and send “unpredictable tax signals” to foreign investors.
“If you’re going to do tax changes, you’ve got to do them as part of tax reform. We can’t keep saying we’re going to have a temporary levy every time something can’t be solved through hard political decision-making,” Ms Westacott told ABC Radio.
“Let’s not keep … sending these unpredictable tax signals. I hear from people overseas ‘we want to see predictability in your tax system; we get very anxious as investors when governments just pluck something out of the air without some kind of proper comprehensive review of the tax system.”
The audit commission, chaired by then BCA president Tony Shepherd, last week recommended cutting the minimum wage by between about $50 and $124 per week depending on the state and territory in which the worker lives.
Ms Westacott said: “I have a real problem with the minimum wage recommendations and I think they’re too severe and too harsh.
“The minimum wage is a very important social safety net and I think if you’re going to look at the minimum wage you have to ask: ‘Is it a barrier to young people and long-term unemployed people entering the workforce?’
“I think there’s a philosophical sort of view about what sort of society we want to live in.”
Ms Westacott said it was not right for business people to make campaign contributions in exchange for political access.
“I think this idea of someone getting money for a meeting … erodes public confidence in our political institutions,” Ms Westacott said.
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