Media release
Palmer United Party leader and federal Member for Fairfax, Clive Palmer, has maintained that he won’t support changes to increase the GST.
Mr Palmer said from the $267 billion collected in GST every year, the government refunds $250 billion to businesses.
“This means that the GST only affects individuals,” he said.
“Australia’s hard working wage earners are paying $17 billion in GST every year while businesses are being looked after with their $250 billion in refunds.
“This is not an equitable or fair tax system when only one sector of our society is subject to GST.”
Mr Palmer said if Australia needs to raise more revenue it should be done fairly and changes should be imposed right across the board.
“The Prime Minister and Opposition need to have an open mind, not just about what I’m saying but about what others are saying as well,” he said.
“This is about fairness and while it is true that Australia doesn’t have a fair or proper tax base, it’s not fair that businesses pay less and get their GST refunded while individual workers are forced to pay more.
“If the Government wants to investigate real changes to the GST, why not charge the full GST to businesses while cutting their other taxes like eliminating income tax?
“There are plenty of other solutions to create a fairer and more equal system, at the moment these changes are nothing but hocus pocus and smoke and mirrors to fool Australia’s workers who have to pay GST regardless.”
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