Treasurer Cameron Dick fronts the media after shelving controversial land tax
Treasurer Cameron Dick says he found out that Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had shelved his controversial land tax at the same time as everyone else.
QLD Politics
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Treasurer Cameron Dick was not notified by the Premier before she sensationally shelved the controversial land tax laws he had championed for nearly a year.
Mr Dick, speaking from an Energex depot to spruik the government’s energy plan, confirmed he found out the land tax had been deferred “through the announcement made by the Premier after she had spoken to (interstate) leaders”.
He said finding out when Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was asked the question at a press conference after national cabinet was “appropriate”.
Pressed on whether he was given any notification about the decision prior to it becoming public, Mr Dick said it was the Premier’s prerogative to come to a conclusion.
“It’s the Premier’s call, that’s what leaders do,” he said.
“But everyone in the government supports the leader and to support the decision, which is what we will do.”
He said the “reality is the Premier makes the call, lets the community know and then we implement it”.
Asked if he had spoken to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk since the decision, Mr Dick said they had been “in communication through our offices”.
The land tax change drew the ire of the property sector, with some other jurisdictions ultimately refusing to co-operate with Queensland to make the tax work.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday conceded the changes were unworkable without the co-operation of other state to handover their land owner data.
This despite Mr Dick, for weeks, standing by the ability for the revenue office to go it alone and implement the tax through third party data sets.
Extraordinary gazette notifications also perplexingly listed Mr Dick as being on leave today, and also on Monday when he held a press conference.
He confirmed that he was technically meant to be on a week off.
“I had a week off but I came back (on Monday) for three days for a range of reasons.
“So I had a couple of days off with my family, to look after my son in particular.
“Now I’m back at work, but as a minister, you never really take days off.”
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