5 years ago
WORKERS, FARMERS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES WIN AS LABOR DOES SUKKAR’S HOMEWORK
STEPHEN JONES MP
The Treasury Laws Amendment (2019 Tax Integrity and Other Measures No. 1) Bill 2019 passed the House yesterday, with amendments secured by Labor and the crossbench in the Senate which protect workers, farmers and small businesses.
After months of sticking his head in the sand and denying any problems existed, the Assistant Treasurer was ultimately forced to admit that his bill could indeed impose new taxes on owners of farmland and investors in unsafe residential buildings such as Opal Tower.
This is only after Labor raised the issue repeatedly, and pushed the Government to bring forward amendments on the Bill.
As a further measure, Labor passed amendments that would ensure that a loophole allowing employers to legally steal superannuation entitlements from workers would be closed by 1 January 2020 – a full six months ahead of the Government’s original schedule.
Labor and the crossbench also worked together to secure improvements to measures around the disclosure of small business tax debts, ensuring that small business has the right information and enough time to dispute disclosures with the ATO.
As has become the Government and Mr Sukkar’s habit, resolving these issues has been a slow and sloppy process.
It is clear that the Assistant Treasurer is simply not up to the job of delivering complex tax legislation.
After months of sticking his head in the sand and denying any problems existed, the Assistant Treasurer was ultimately forced to admit that his bill could indeed impose new taxes on owners of farmland and investors in unsafe residential buildings such as Opal Tower.
This is only after Labor raised the issue repeatedly, and pushed the Government to bring forward amendments on the Bill.
As a further measure, Labor passed amendments that would ensure that a loophole allowing employers to legally steal superannuation entitlements from workers would be closed by 1 January 2020 – a full six months ahead of the Government’s original schedule.
Labor and the crossbench also worked together to secure improvements to measures around the disclosure of small business tax debts, ensuring that small business has the right information and enough time to dispute disclosures with the ATO.
As has become the Government and Mr Sukkar’s habit, resolving these issues has been a slow and sloppy process.
It is clear that the Assistant Treasurer is simply not up to the job of delivering complex tax legislation.