TREASURER  COSTELLO CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK

The West Australian Government has said it will axe three taxes - prompting a call from the Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, for NSW to follow suit. Residents of NSW would be the last in the country to be "double taxed." Mr Costello said on Tuesday, March 21, 2006. Western Australia (WA) announced it would axe the business taxes, which the states agreed to review in return for receiving GST revenue. Mr Costello criticised NSW for being the only remaining Government to impose the business taxes as well as receiving higher- than expected GST revenue. "This means that NSW residents alone are being double-taxed. they pay GST and also pay the taxes it was introduced to replace" he said. "The NSW Government imposes the highest taxes of any state ."

The Federal Government has called on NSW to abolish taxes on mortgages and loan securities, business conveyancing, hire agreements, leased and unlisted securities, which are expected to add $1.3 billion to state coffers this financial year. Mark Bethwaite CEO of Australian Business Limited, said WA could afford to cut taxes because it had accrued a surplus of $2 billion. "We do want NSW to remove the nuisance taxes but we are aware the State Government is about to go into deficit".

This statement  by Treasurer Costello is certainly calling the kettle black, and is the most hypocritical statement that can be credited to the Howard-Vaile Coalition Government. Their own Federal Government is Guilty of imposing unconstitutional double taxing in that they charge a bi-annual excise (tax) on alcohol, fuel and tobacco on top of charging us GST on these products. We repeat this is unconstitutional.

The major problem with electing political party candidates to Federal, State and Local Government to represent us, is that when things go wrong they automatically apportion the blame by finger pointing to the opposing party. We've had political party representation for more than 100 years and what they've given us, especially returned war veterans, aged pensioners and our  disabled, is a reduction in their quality of life.

It's about time the Australian voter took umbrage at the treatment handed out to us by the party spin doctors who believe the majority of Australians are "brain dead" and we are treated accordingly. Wake up Australia!!  Lets make it one Australia for all Australians.