Land Tax

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:44): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Treasurer a question about land tax.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: The state government's proposed overhaul of land tax laws in South Australia has created widespread anger and uncertainty across the community. The state's economy is being impacted now by proposed changes that might or might not come into force from 1 July next year as investors, from large property developers to hardworking mums and dads, make decisions now in fear of what may lie ahead. A large number of projects have reportedly been put on hold.

In the midst of this controversy, SA-Best is holding a forum this Sunday for all South Australians to air their concerns about the government's proposed land tax reforms. Both you and the Premier have been invited to attend and, while the Premier has already politely declined, we are still waiting to hear from your office about your availability to attend. For the record, the forum is being held at high noon this Sunday 4 August at the Allan Scott Auditorium at UniSA's City West campus on North Terrace. The invitation still stands. My questions are:

1. Can the Treasurer advise how much it will cost South Australian taxpayers simply to put in place the necessary systems to collect these increased taxes?

2. Can he also advise how much it will cost South Australian taxpayers per year to collect these increased taxes?

3. Does he agree with some independent experts that the cost of collecting the taxes could exceed $8 million a year, putting a sizeable dent in the expected $40 million windfall he believes the new tax regime will deliver to his coffers?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:45): If the honourable member is happy to provide me with the names of the independent so-called experts and the indication of the estimate of $8 million, I am happy to take Treasury advice and respond. I have not seen those particular estimates and I have not received them. I have seen many claims in the media of independent experts who have done estimates of various things in relation to the land tax proposals, but I note that none of them have been named.

If the honourable member wants to share the estimate of $8 million from the independent experts, I am happy to respond. Certainly, the advice from RevenueSA, more importantly than Treasury, is that the costs of collecting are nowhere near the estimated claim of $8 million a year the honourable member is referring to from an anonymous independent expert.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Pangallo, a supplementary?