FRINGE BENEFITS TAX

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:14): My supplementary is to the Premier. Is there a communication problem between the Premier and the Prime Minister which contributed to the Prime Minister's decision to push ahead with changes to the fringe benefits tax on motor vehicles without even consulting him?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:15): I think there is a policy problem. The federal Labor Party made a decision which is not in the interests of South Australia, and we understand why they made that decision. They obviously were making some substantial decisions around changes to the carbon tax arrangements to move to a floating ETS scheme, and they sought to offset that with revenue measures. They sought to make those revenue errors—

Mr Marshall: The question is: is there a communication problem between yourself and the Prime Minister?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No, there's a policy choice problem. That's the problem. They made a choice about how they should deal with this question of the revenue they needed to provide. I have not got a difficulty with the way in which they have constructed changes to business taxation arrangements; it is entirely a matter for them. What I am interested in is the effect that it has on the car industry, and so we don't agree with the policy position they've taken. I've been prepared, though, to set aside the fact that this is the same political party at a national level.

Of course, it is not comfortable to have to oppose not only the Prime Minister of the country but also the leader of your national party, but I have done that in the interests of South Australia, and I simply invite the Leader of the Opposition to join with me in the same way. We both have an interest here. You have a leader of your party who is proposing a change which is not in South Australia's interest. I ask you to oppose that, just as we have done in relation to these FBT changes.

Mr MARSHALL: Supplementary, sir.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary from the Leader of the Opposition.