Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

When government members of parliament come in here and say words like 'not so scary scare campaign' then you know they really are scared. When they have a contribution that does not even talk to the actual motion before us until a minute to go, they are doing everything but facing the reality of what people in their electorate are saying about the GST. Who is not in this place ready to debate this motion? None of the Nationals MPs are here today. None of the Victorian Liberal MPs are here. Perhaps that is because last week in The Weekly Times no fewer than five Victorian regional MPs told us the truth about what they think about this government's plan to increase the GST. Let us count them off. We had the member for Mallee, the member for Murray, the member for Wannon, the member for Gippsland and the member for McMillan all telling the paper about their fears and anxieties if this government increases the GST and if this government put it on fresh food. Those opposite cannot even get their own to be on the same page when talking about their GST campaign.

Guys, just be honest. Come out and tell the Australian people. They expect it from you; you're Liberals. You are Liberal members, who look after the big end of town and not the other end of town—working people, people in regional electorates, people who are telling us loud and clear that this will be the tax that breaks the bank, that hurts these households.

And country people are not alone. The National Farmers Federation have come out and said that they disagree with this government's plans. The National Farmers Federation said:

From our viewpoint, it makes no sense to increase the cost of fresh food. After all, Australians need greater incentives to eat healthily, not disincentives …

The National Farmers Federation is correct. Maybe that is the reason why the Nationals MPs are not in here—because the NFF have been on the phone and said, 'You'd better vote against this one.'

We have also had the Rural Doctors Association saying that adding a GST of 10 to 15 per cent to the cost of health care will hurt regional communities. It will hurt them the most, because, to put it simply, people in the regions will just not go to the doctor. They will not seek the preventative health care that they need.

This is what the Liberals seem to do. This is what this government seems to do. They try and push through a GP tax; it gets rejected. They try and push through a petrol tax; it gets rejected. So, now it is: 'Let's just be lazy and put a straight-out tax on everything, broaden the GST and increase it for everybody.'

What else is under attack with this broadening of the GST? Petrol. Petrol is a classic one. Remember, the petrol tax was originally frozen when they introduced the GST. John Howard said, 'Don't worry; I'll freeze the fuel excise tax.' Then, in its very first budget, this government sought to increase the petrol tax again. Now that they have succeeded in increasing the petrol tax, they want to increase the GST and whack another five per cent on petrol. For people in regional areas, this stinks, because they literally have further to go. It is understandable that the Prime Minister is not upset about this; his electorate is only 11 kilometres wide. Try being a regional MP. For people who live in Heathcote, it takes them 45 minutes to get to Bendigo, where their regional health services are and where their high school is. People in country areas, because they are regional areas, drive further. Broadening the GST to 15 per cent and including petrol will hurt people in regional areas.

Let us talk about rates. This government will not rule out increasing the GST on council rates. Our council areas in regional Victoria pay more in rates than in our cities. In the Macedon Ranges, the City of Greater Bendigo, Loddon Shire and Mount Alexander, people have already had 18 to 20 per cent rate increases over the last three to four years. The state government there is going to cap rates because that is just too much for those households to bear. Now, to rub salt into the wound, these people are going to have to pay extra anyway because the federal government will not rule out increasing the GST on rates.

Be honest with the Australian people. When you are back in your electorates, be honest and tell the truth. Tell the truth about what your plans are—that is, to increase the GST. It will hurt the economy and it will hurt regional communities the most.

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