Rural and regional Australia to benefit from July 1 Coalition tax changes
27th June, 2008
The July 1 introduction of the next stage of the former Coalition Government’s new fuel tax credits will benefit a wide variety of industries, the Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss, said today.“This is very good news for many people who use vehicles for business use in rural and regional communities, and will help drive their fuel prices down,” Mr Truss said.
“This was a Coalition Government decision that has made this happen, although I strongly suspect that the new Labor Government might try to take credit for it.
“If they do, that would be quite hypocritical given that Labor still has plans to increase the diesel fuel excise paid by heavy vehicles owners by 1.4 cents per litre, and to reintroduce excise indexation which the Coalition abolished in 2001. Labor hopes it can ram these damaging changes through the Senate when sittings resume in August. The Prime Minister incredibly believes this tax slug is ‘responsible’ at a time when owner-drivers, bus operators and the like are dealing with the highest fuel prices on record.
“The Coalition has a different view – we do not believe in making life more difficult for people on fuel prices.”
The July 1 changes mean that farmers, foresters, fishers, miners, nurses, doctors and operators of marine transport and emergency vessels will for the first time be able to claim the full rebate excise of 38.14 cents per litre for petrol and other fuels used off-road. Until now, the full rebate applied only to diesel use.
All industries (including construction and manufacturing) will be able to get a half rebate of 19.07 cents per litre diesel, petrol and all other fuels used off-road. They will get a full rebate from 1 July 2012.
“This are very good changes and will benefit many people right around Australia,” Mr Truss said.
