Does a new Treasurer mean a new approach to tax reform?
Treasurer Scott Morrison has had his first week in the new role, and says he is focused on tax reform that encourages Australians to work, save and invest. So does this mean he is open to looking at tax reform measures previously ruled out by former Treasurer Joe Hockey, like addressing superannuation tax concessions, negative gearing and capital gains tax? Reports suggest the new Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, secretly suspended work on the tax white paper due later and requested a re-focus on the issue of tax reform. Scott Morrison insists the white paper process is on track. Controversially, he also insists Australia has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, and is only interested in tax reform which addresses spending rather than raising taxes. We look at whether the Treasurer’s assertion is correct and hear from two key stakeholders about what kind of tax reform they would like to see him work on.
Featured in story:
- John Daley, CEO, The Grattan Institute
- Catherine Yeomans, CEO, Mission Australia
