FED: Labor caucus prepared to accept a quarter of GST plan

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-1998
FED: Labor caucus prepared to accept a quarter of GST plan

CANBERRA, Dec 8 AAP - Labor MPs today agreed to support a quarter of the federal
governments GST tax reform bills.

The opposition would support four of the 16 tax reform bills introduced to parliament last
week, a Labor spokeswoman said after the caucus meeting today.

It is understood these include legislation to create a new business identifier - the
Australian Business Number - which would be businesses single identity for all commonwealth
purposes.

A spokesman for Labor treasury spokesman Simon Crean refused to detail which parts of the
package were acceptable to Labor.

But caucus had not changed its opposition to a GST, he said.

"There are parts of the tax reform package beyond the GST which Labor does not oppose," the
spokesman said.

Caucus also today agreed to support legislation which, in an Australian first, would
introduce regulatory controls for all commonwealth radiation and nuclear safety activities.

But Labor would demand an amendment requiring a public inquiry to establish a need before
any major nuclear facility was built, the spokeswoman said.

AAP rmg/mfh/cfm/br

KEYWORD: TAX CAUCUS

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