Keay’s warning on Libs’ tax cuts

BRADDON MP Justine Keay says the Liberals cannot be believed when they say they have dropped corporate tax cuts.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull dumped the corporate tax cuts from the Government agenda after the Bill was voted down in the Senate yesterday.

Ms Keay campaigned hard on the issue in her successful bid to regain Braddon at the July 28 by-election.

“These tax cuts were a factor in the Braddon by-election and despite calls for the Prime Minister to heed that message, he went ahead with trying to get them through the Senate with the support of all Tasmanian Liberal senators and National Party Senator Steve Martin,” she said.

Senator Martin said $47.5 million of funding for state projects negotiated in exchange for his vote on the tax cuts would still be delivered.

So far there have been announcements of $4.8 million for a Cradle Coast pathway and $30 million for Cradle Mountain cableway.

As Peter Dutton worked the numbers to topple the PM, Treasurer Scott Morrison said the former Immigration Minister’s plan to cut the GST from electricity bills would need to be agreed on by all states and territories.

Mr Morrison told Federal Parliament the Parliamentary Budget Office had calculated the cost at $7.5 billion over four years.

“Any change to the GST rate or base has to be agreed on by all states and territories and I am sure they would say ‘if you do that is fine but send us $7.5 billion, but that would be an absolute budget-blower,” he said.

Tasmanian Treasurer Peter Gutwein would not comment on Mr Dutton’s plan.