Alan Jones Editorial, Radio 2GB, 14 February 2005
I'd omitted to say something about land tax because I've got to
tell you there's going to be a bombshell breakthrough in all of
this.
You've heard me arguing on land tax for years in this State.
My simple proposition is this, the method of calculating land tax
employed by the Valuer General's Department is flawed, if not dishonest.
And that will be brought to bear.
It's no use jumping up and down and saying that a whole raft of
new investors have been stung with land tax bills.
I've been saying that for months.
Once you remove the land tax threshold of 317,000 dollars then
your battling Struggle Street property investors are caught in the
net.
But it's not just that.
It's the way in which land tax is calculated.
It's the way in which valuations are reached.
If you have a look at your land tax bill, and you don't have to
be a millionaire, you'll find that in some instances those valuations
have increased 100 per cent in a couple of years.
It is disgraceful, ludicrous and immoral.
And the government must surely be considering doing something about
it.
But I wonder where were all these people when these proposals were
being made.
They were completely silent.
The land tax system is like the vendor tax and the poker machine
tax.
They're there just to get money and the government couldn't care
two hoots about the cost.
Well, some of their own constituents and their own voters are now
paying the price, and this will have to change.
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