Taxation Reform

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): Supplementary: given that the Premier has said that this is a direction that the industry wants to go, why is it that there has been an avalanche of criticism from the industry over the Premier's recent discussion regarding the implementation of a freight network charge here in South Australia?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Transport.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:33): I can understand why there would be a large groan from the Leader of the Opposition at the prospect of being reminded about the policy backflip that his opposition has taken with regard to the taxation of the heavy vehicle industry.

Mr PISONI: Point of order: he is not responsible for the Leader of the Opposition.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the member for Unley's point of order. Minister for Transport.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I'm certainly aware that there has been concern raised in one quarter of what is a large and diverse industry about what is the potential for a much improved and better way of taxing the heavy vehicle industry. At the moment, we've got an industry paying, not limited to but including, registration charges to the state government and fuel excise charges to the commonwealth government.

There is, in particular with respect to the taxes paid to the commonwealth government, a lack of transparency about the amount of money which comes back and is available for investment in the upkeep and in the construction of new roads. We have consistently as a government promoted better ways of taxation across the economy, and this is just another example. What we haven't done is gone to the election committing to a position of introducing no tolls, and then within 100 or 120 days completely back flipping and changing the position of whether to toll the heavy vehicle industry, which is precisely what the opposition has done. What an outrageous position to be advocating, the reduction of taxes—

The SPEAKER: Point of order, member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: Again, the minister is not only entering debate but he is also not responsible for the opposition.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order.