Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present a petition on a goods and services tax on mobile homes, which has been approved by the Standing Committee on Petitions.

The petition read as follows—

To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives

This petition of Certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House:

The current draft ruling of the Australia Taxation Office which proposes that a Goods and Services Tax be applied to Moveable Homes will adversely affect over 100,000 Australians.

We therefore ask the House to reconsider the draft ruling and ensure that a Goods and Service Tax not be applied to Moveable Homes.

from 53 citizens

Petition received.

Last week I raised the concerns of some of my constituents regarding the Australian Taxation Office's proposal to increase the GST on mobile home parks. Upon returning to my electorate of Lalor last Friday I met with two gentlemen regarding this issue. Both of these gentlemen live in a retirement village in Lalor with demountable homes. That means that they will be worse off if the draft proposal is adopted. Both gentlemen raised their issues about the negative effect looming, especially for single women, their neighbours. They understand that the majority of single women living in their village have little if any superannuation, a consequence perhaps of their generation. This is the same across the whole of Australia. They are worried that the added costs of the GST on mobile home parks will hurt those who are already living close to the breadline.

These gentlemen have been very active in highlighting the injustice of this proposed change to the GST. I am advised that they have raised the issue with the Victorian consumer affairs commissioner, and engaged with other concerned people in local retirement villages as well as with constituents in other states who will suffer under the proposed changes. They also requested that I table their petition to the House regarding this issue. I acknowledge that, yet again, I am proud of the Lalor community because this, again, highlights that they will stand up and fight for what is fair.