Qld: Mackenroth rejects call for tax cuts

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2004
Qld: Mackenroth rejects call for tax cuts

Queensland Treasurer TERRY MACKENROTH has suggested calls from his federal counterpart
PETER COSTELLO for state tax cuts is pure hypocrisy.

Mr MACKENROTH says the Queensland government has already one of the lowest taxing frameworks
in the country, with further cuts announced at this year's Budget set to save taxpayers
about $300 million.

Mr COSTELLO has said the states now had no excuses to complain they could not fund
proper services when the GST was delivering a multi-billion dollar windfall.

Instead he says states should start looking to abolish such taxes as stamp duty on
conveyancing and mortgages.

But Mr MACKENROTH says the windfall is not all it has been cracked up to be.

He says Queensland will be $300 million worse off in GST funding over the next four
years then it had been promised prior to the federal election.

AAP RTV am/sc/ved

KEYWORD: TAX QLD (BRISBANE)

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