Newly elected Liberal Senator Alex Antic publicly criticises State Government’s proposed land tax changes
SA Liberal Senator Alex Antic has blasted the State Government’s controversial land tax changes.
- MPs vent frustration over land tax changes
- party room stress over land tax policy
- Liberal MPs revolt over Rob Lucas’ land tax reforms
- Property sector fears land tax changes could flatten investment
The internal Liberal Party backlash against the State Government’s controversial land tax changes has gained momentum, as Liberal MPs publicly raise concerns about the policy for the first time.
In a scathing letter to Premier Steven Marshall, obtained by The Advertiser, newly elected Senator Alex Antic says a crackdown on land tax aggregation could stop the state’s economic recovery “in its tracks”.
It comes as state Liberal backbencher Sam Duluk writes in The Advertiserthat the $40 million per year land tax clawback has “justifiably left some unhappy” and urged for relief for those affected to be handed out in December’s Mid-Year Budget Review.
In his letter, Senator Antic said he was “deeply concerned about the impact that this proposal will have on our state’s economic future”.
“With the benefit of the federal election campaign fresh in our minds, it strikes me as unconscionable that our party would seek to prosecute an argument for an increase in land tax,” he said.
“We need to encourage investment in South Australia and avoid haemorrhaging capital into other states.
“While land tax reform is ultimately a matter for State Parliament, I was elected to serve on behalf of the people of South Australia and believe that this policy is not in the best interests of our state.”
Treasurer Rob Lucas welcomed the criticism and denied it was a sign of internal division spilling over into the public domain, stressing the party was “a broad church”.
He said Senator Antic clearly “did not understand the Government’s proposal” because overall land tax revenues would drop under his plan.
His complex tax changes seek to prevent land owners from paying less by splitting their properties between multiple legal structures, including trusts. Mr Lucas said public consultation on how the crackdown would be enforced and what form it would take was ongoing. A group of Liberal MPs last month vented their displeasure over the policy in a party room meeting, winning assurances from Mr Marshall of more consultation.
The state Liberal Party will hold its annual general meeting on Saturday.
Mr Duluk said the reforms would result in South Australians paying less land tax overall and were “fundamentally rooted in the conservative principle that lower taxes give us a competitive advantage so we can grow our economy”.
But he said the aggregation changes had “justifiably left some unhappy” given the party went to the election promising lower taxes and called for a reduction in the top land tax rate to be brought forward