Increasing the GST is just lazy and unfair, writes Steven Marshall

MASSIVE tax hikes without government belt tightening are lazy and unfair. That’s why I will never propose a massive and unjustified tax hike like Jay Weatherill has suggested.

• Jay Weatherill: Turnbull’s gone to water over the GST
• Ross Womersley: We’re not even having the correct tax debate
• Tory Shepherd: Plenty on Turnbull’s tax plate, but will he choose GST?

MASSIVE tax hikes without government belt tightening are lazy and unfair.

That’s why I will never propose a massive and unjustified tax hike like Jay Weatherill has suggested by claiming the GST should be increased to 15 per cent without cutting any other taxes.

South Australians pay their fair share of tax, we shouldn’t be expected to keep paying more.

Massively increasing the tax burden on South Australians and businesses would hurt our already

struggling economy. It would kill what little private sector job creation is currently occurring.

How can we expect industries to grow and create jobs when governments keep increasing their

costs and taking money away from consumers?

Mr Weatherill’s admission this week that his government had not undertaken any economic

modelling before proposing the GST be increased to 15 per cent without removing or reducing any other taxes shows how reckless he has become.

It is unfair and completely illogical for Mr Weatherill to suggest we should all pay more tax.

The GST was introduced by the Howard Coalition Government (in 2000) as a tax reform measure. A raft of taxes were reduced or abolished when it was introduced.

In the midst of the latest national debate on tax reform, Jay Weatherill is advocating an outright

increase in taxation.

Being too lazy and incompetent to manage our health and education systems with our already high taxes, the Premier wants to increase the tax burden on South Australian families.

I won’t stand for that.

Let me dispel some myths. Funding from the federal government to SA is increasing every year across the forward estimates (of the Budget).

So here’s the simple fact — the Premier wants more of your money because he really enjoys spending it. The problem with this was best articulated by former Prime Minister Paul Keating this week when he wrote, “At that fork in the road of national income, that between the public and the private sector, tax funding a bigger public sector will simply make Australia’s private sector relatively smaller.”

I support having a tax debate in this country. I also have some clear principles around what we need to do: create a system that provides simpler, fairer and lower taxes for all Australians.

Jay Weatherill’s plan for a 15 per cent GST to pay for higher government spending has been rejected by his own party.

South Australia has the highest unemployment in the nation and our economy is stagnant.

I want South Australian families and businesses to pay as little tax as is necessary to provide the services we need without putting a handbrake on our economy.

Our health and education systems are in desperate need of reform that directs funding to frontline services and reduces unnecessary bureaucracy.

The State Labor Government should be working on spending your money more effectively instead of finding ways to keep taking more.