Land Tax

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:34): Further supplementary, and if I may just clarify that my question was in regard to small business, and I think the Treasurer has answered mainly in regard to residential property, so I will ask again: does the Treasurer agree the government's land tax aggregation measures will result in many small business tenants paying higher rents?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:34): My answer is substantially the same; that is, one can't indicate beforehand. There may well be some impact in relation to the level of rent. Again, it will depend on, as I said, the final shape and nature of the government's land tax reform proposal; secondly, the decision of the parliament in relation to that; and thirdly, which one of all the scenarios that are being predicted will occur. Not all of them can occur at the same time as some of them are in immediate conflict with the other; that is, everyone either sells up, everyone increases rent or a whole variety of other scenarios that are being promulgated. It will depend on what mix there is of those. One can't rule out that there might not be some impact in relation to small business tenant rental as a result of any land tax reform proposal.