House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Grievance Debate Land Tax LAND TAX The Hon. G.M. GUNN House of Assembly Stuart The Hon. G.M. GUNN (Stuart) (15:34): I want to raise the issue of land tax and the effect it is having on businesses in my constituency. I will give a couple of examples. A business operator in Port Augusta, who runs businesses which employ a lot of people, received one assessment last year in which he was asked to pay $1,357; his next account was $8,508. On another assessment he paid $1,826; his next account was $11,060; that is, he is paying nearly $20,000 or an increase of nearly $17,000. The question is: for what? For his ability to run his businesses? This sort of disincentive, particularly where people are providing rental accommodation—I thought the federal government wanted people to provide rental accommodation. With all the hassles that go with providing rental accommodation, for people to then get slugged with these sorts of taxes is a disincentive. We then have the case at Morgan with the person who runs a facility that looks after houseboats. His land tax has gone up about $6,000. For what? Providing a service? He is a small operator. To put it mildly, both of these proprietors have lost their sense of humour. They can see absolutely no reason why they should have the Treasurer dipping his hand in the hip pocket when they are getting nothing in return. They are providing employment, they are providing a service and they are getting slugged in the process of doing so. What is going to happen next year? What is it going to be like next year if this is kept up? People will be taxed out of business. I am calling on the Treasurer for a fairer system and a reasonable system where people are not unduly slugged. The next matter I want to raise briefly, and I have not had a chance for a while, is that I have been calling for some time for some sensible changes to the Native Vegetation Act. I put before this house some amendments which would empower local government to— The Hon. R.J. McEwen interjecting: The Hon. G.M. GUNN House of Assembly The Hon. G.M. GUNN: No. The honourable member wants to read his standing orders so that he understands them. The Hon. R.J. McEwen interjecting: The Hon. G.M. GUNN House of Assembly The Hon. G.M. GUNN: I know the rules. The Hon. R.J. McEwen interjecting: The Deputy Speaker House of Assembly The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The minister will cease interjecting. The Hon. G.M. GUNN House of Assembly The Hon. G.M. GUNN: I have put before this chamber sensible proposals which would have enhanced the ability of local government and elected officials to make sensible decisions so that people could protect themselves. There are the difficulties that the people of Victoria have faced, and are still facing, with 77 bulldozers still operating so that people can protect themselves, landholders and land managers. All I am saying to this chamber is that I sincerely hope that common sense prevails and those intransigent bureaucrats, who have had their way for too long, are pushed aside, because, as sure as we are in this building, some of these huge sections of native vegetation are going to catch on fire. I sincerely hope they do not come out of those national parks and conservation parks on a 10 or 15 kilometre front, because with a north wind I would hate to think where they could end up. The government has been warned and the ministers have been warned that there is an urgent need to act, and if they do not then they will have to accept the responsibility. Some of us have tried very hard to apply common sense, and I therefore call upon the minister to react accordingly. Recently I read with great concern an article in a British newspaper, where a member of the House of Commons had their office raided by the police. That person was taken into custody and his home and other offices were raided. The House of Commons was entered by the police without the authority of the presiding officer. Permission was granted by the Serjeant-at-Arms. The Clerk of the parliament was not consulted. It was an outrageous course of action, and something which every parliament in the Westminster system should be aware of. The comments by the senior police officer were outrageous, and the political storm which has erupted since then, of course, will be carried on right through to the next election. Members of this house should guard their privileges and their rights diligently because this place is the last opportunity for many people to get any form of justice. They should not allow any bureaucrat any authority to impede, threaten, intimidate or in any way interfere with our rights. I hope the house will have more to say on that. Time expired.