Richmond election candidates address Tweed, Ballina, Byron taxing policy

Richmond Federal Election Q+A: How will candidates tackle taxation?

Balancing environmental factors and finances will be at the forefront of many Richmond voters minds.

Taxation issues will be what helps some voters decide who to put first at the ballot box.

With a variety of voters across the region from all walks of life we’ve asked our candidates how things have changed this election.

We asked candidates:

At the last federal election, negative gearing and franking credits were front of mind. There’s a luxury vehicle tax threshold which affects country people who need a decent 4WD. Do we need government incentives for electric vehicles? What’s your view on taxation and what needs to change?

Gary Biggs, Liberal Democratic Party

We focus so much on raising more money for administration when the outcome is so poor.
We can either raise tax levels, tax more people or lower expenses, by improving efficiency of government.

I prefer to work on improving efficiencies, the problem is there are so many bad or poor laws to be enforced.

How much do we spend on enforcing the prohibition on the use of weed, if people want to grow a plant and smoke it or have a sneaky toke at the Bluesfest, if it doesn’t hurt anyone else, what business is it of the government? And why are we spending million enforcing a silly ban?

If I am elected, I intend on cutting up bad laws and freeing up administrators and saving taxpayers moneys.

Kerry Packer said “Whenever you introduce a new law you take somebody’s privileges away” I say “Whenever you repeal a bad law you give somebody their privileges back”

The Greens are promising lots of new rules and new taxes to have more administrators to enforce the new rules.

They are using the biggest political lie, which is so often heard – “Only the rich will have to pay” but inevitability we all pay.
Income tax brackets “only the rich will pay the top bracket” – “the luxury car tax is only for millionaires” – now farmers are caught up in the evil web.

I vote no!

Nathan Jones, independent

An electric car uses one third of the energy compared to a petrol/ diesel vehicle. We need government to subsidise the purchase or the domestic production of EV’s. We need to put roofs on all shopping centre car parks and commuter car parks and have solar installed on them. We will have dozens of rows of free charging stations nationwide meaning you never have to queue to charge your electric vehicle.

EV’s like the Ford F150 are currently being produced in the tens of millions. Each one has a battery that could power a large suburban house for 3 days of normal use. So interconnection between the home and our EV’s is essential moving forward to minimise our carbon footprint.

If you have a working farm, with a business or ABN that relates to a primary industry, then you should be exempt from the luxury vehicle tax for a 4WD. The same applies to a tractor that is worth over $70,000.

Taxation – it should be raised to pay for services that we need. Keep taxes the same, not up or down until our government debt is under control. Our problem is a spending problem. We spend as a public sector (Federal, State/Territory, local) $900 billion per year and $75 billion is wasted on duplication of departments at state government level.

Kimberly Hone, Nationals

Nationals Candidate for Richmond Kimberly Hone.

Whether you are a senior in Ballina, a motorist in Byron or a small business operator in Tweed like my family, few federal government decisions have more impact on your positive choices than tax policy.

It is a historical fact that Nationals and Liberals Governments cut taxes and Labor Governments increase them. There was Labor’s tax hit on retirees they promised but fortunately couldn’t deliver at the 2019 election. Last time Labor won Government, the current Member for Richmond and Mr Albanese slugged everyone with a carbon tax that put up the price of everything, despite promising never to do so.

By contrast, the Coalition‘s recent Budget includes huge tax cuts for low and middle income earners and an unprecedented 22 cents a litre cut to fuel tax.

The Nationals policy for electric vehicles is to offer positive choices for motorists who want to go electric, without pushing up electricity prices and taxes for those who don’t or can’t.

The Nationals Future Fuels and Vehicles Strategy is backed by an expanded $250 million Future Fuels Fund that supports public charging infrastructure, especially in regional Australia, so Tweed, Byron and Ballina drivers get the same positive choices as motorists in the cities.

Mandy Nolan, The Greens

Mandy Nolan is the Greens candidate for the seat of Richmond.

The Greens will provide rebates of up to $15,000 – some of the most generous rebates proposed in Australia – and would offer additional “ultra-low-cost” financing for the remaining cost to help reduce the barriers to owning an electric vehicle.

State Labor governments in Victoria and Coalition Governments in New South Wales and South Australia have introduced or proposed the introduction of road-user charges that will only apply to electric vehicles. In the middle of a climate emergency, these shortsighted measures will slow the take up of cleaner modes of transport that will help us meet our emission targets.

We need also to address Labor and the Liberals Stage 3 tax cuts which entrench inequality with the benefits overwhelmingly flowing to the rich. In balance of power the Greens will kick Scott Morrison out and push to make the next government to put mental health and dental in Medicare, build affordable housing, offer free childcare and raise the rate of JobSeeker.

When big corporations and billionaires pay their fair share, everyone can have the services they need for a better life.

Justine Elliot, Labor

Scott Morrison’s government is one of the highest-taxing governments in Australian history and they’ve still got no plans to address the cost-of-living crisis. That’s why an Albanese Labor Government will act on cost of living with cheaper childcare, cheaper power, and affordable housing – and introducing an Electric Car Discount to make electric vehicles cheaper.
This will include removing inefficient taxes, including import tariffs and the fringe-benefits tax from eligible low-emissions models.
Labor will also invest $39.3 million, to be matched by the NRMA, to deliver 117 fast charging stations on highways across Australia. This will provide charging stations at an average interval of 150km on major roads to make electric vehicles more accessible to everyday Australians.

On top of this, typical Australian households are currently paying on average $750 a year more for fuel than the advertised fuel efficiency of their vehicle.
That’s why Labor will also provide $14 million to establish a real-world vehicle testing program to ensure locals aren’t slugged with higher fuel costs than they were expecting.

Only a Labor Government will deliver Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Strategy to deliver cheaper electric vehicles for everyday Australians and ease the cost-of-living crisis. Vote 1 Justine Elliot to make it happen.

Terry Patrick Sharples independent, Monica Shepherd, Informed Medical Options Party, David Warth, independent,Tracey Bell-Henselin, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and Robert James Marks, United Australia Party have been contacted for a response but did not reply before deadline.