Remember when: Gold Coast retailers worked through the night before the GST was introduced

JODIE Watt was one of the Gold Coast’s army of the night who worked to adjust prices as the GST took effect.

Gold Coast History: Gold Coast Bulletin 2000, June 30. Front page.

Gold Coast Bulletin, Friday June 30, 2000

JODIE Watt was one of the Gold Coast’s army of the night who worked to adjust prices as the GST took effect.

Across the nation, up to 100,000 Australians worked into the early hours of the next morning, changing millions of price labels.

The new tax system came into effect the next day and Australia’s retailers worked around the clock to be ready.

Australia’s biggest retailer, Coles Myer Ltd said it was ready for the GST despite the challenge of pre-priceing 130 million items.

Around 30,000 Coles Myer staff worked through the night.

In other GST news:

* About 4000 price inspectors were in place in monitor fuel prices at Australia’s 8400 service stations.

* Customers in brothels found they would not have to pay the GST provided their service commence before midnight.

* Australian hotels and casinos would trade as normal despite the changeover.

Gold Coast History: Gold Coast Bulletin 2000, June 30. Front page.

* An embarrassing computer glitch forced the Government to admit parents would have to foot the bill for childcare fees for at least a fortnight after the GST introduction.

* Then-prime minister John Howard said the new tax system would be fairer and good for the country.

* Artists in second jobs could claim deductions against their artistic incoming under changes to new business tax laws.

The GST was initially unpopular and played a role in a late 2000 downturn in the Howard Government’s fortunes.

However, the campaign against it came to naught and it remains in place.