Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Small Business, in writing, on 21 June 2011:

(1) In respect of the statement made by Senator Sherry in June 2011 that in five years time, other than a few specialty bookshops in capital cities, bookstores will cease to exist because of online distribution, was the Minister's statement based on any evidence currently available to the Government; if so, is the Minister able to say:

(a) What proportion (as a percentage) of current total retail sales of books will be transferred from bookstores to online book retailers over the next five years.

(b) How many bookstores in Australia will close down in the next five years.

(c) How many jobs in bookstores will be lost in the next five years.

(d) What proportion (as a percentage) of bookstore sales will be lost to online retailers based (i) overseas, and (ii) in Australia.

(2) Is the Minister able to estimate the potential loss of revenue (ie, GST and import duty) from the predicted shift in sales by Australian consumers from bookstores to online off-shore retailers.

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