GST ON TAMPONS

We welcome the Liberals’ belated admission that this unfair tax on women needs to be scrapped.

But without a plan to make up for the loss of GST revenue to the states and territories any move to scrap the ‘tampon tax’ runs the real risk of failure.

 

Scott Morrison should just back Labor’s fully costed policy.

 

Labor has led the way on this.

 

Back in April we announced we’d scrap this unfair tax on women. 

 

At the time, Mr Morrison described it as a “cynical exercise”.  And just weeks ago the in the Parliament, the Liberals and Nationals blocked the progress of a Private Members Bill that would have scrapped the ‘tampon tax’.

 

Labor’s fully costed policy includes a plan to offset the loss of revenue to the states by applying the GST to 12 natural therapies that are not supported by clinical evidence, such as iridology and naturopathy.

 

Labor leaders in every state and territory have signed up to Federal Labor’s plan to remove the GST on women’s sanitary products.

Australian women spend around $300 million on sanitary products – tampons and pads – each year.

 

Currently, every single one of these products is hit with the 10 per cent GST – around $30 million a year in tax – because they are not considered necessities.

 

At the same time, products such as incontinence pads, sunscreen and nicotine patches – even Viagra – are exempt from the tax.

 

The tax shouldn’t have been applied in the first place – there is no question that sanitary products aren’t a luxury item. They are necessities.

 

That’s why Labor committed to scrap the ‘tampon tax’ months ago.