Mar 5, 2010

PM repeats tax pledge

by Alan Thornhill

The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, says his government will not increase tax, as proportion of national income.

Mr Rudd renewed this pledge – first made before the 2007 election – in the wake of speculation that the government will have to increase taxes, to meet rising health costs.

However the Prime Minister’s promise may not provide all that much comfort to taxpayers.

Mr Rudd said the costs of his planned hospital funding reforms would be met from the Federal budget.

He added, though, that, any politician who would not acknowledge that Australia’s health costs would increase, over the long term, “is not worth a pinch of salt.”

Despite that tax, measured as a proportion of the overall economy, would not rise.

“That’s what we said before the election.

“That’s what we’ve stuck to since the election.

“That’s what we’ll adhere to in the future,” Mr Rudd said.

He was speaking in a Sydney radio interview.

“We have said consistently that we will not increase tax as a proportion of Gross National Product,” Mr Rudd added.

Related stories:

  1. Health reform:Rudd sets out the issues
  2. Recession? The Treasurer’s pledge
  3. Kev’s big idea – and his calculation

Please visit our sponsor

1 Comment

  • [...] PM repeats tax pledge [...]

Profile

Alan ThornhillAlan Thornhill is a parliamentary press gallery journalist. Private Briefing is updated daily with Australian personal finance news, analysis, and commentary.
Please visit our sponsor
Please visit our sponsor

Topics

Recent Comments