Australia Up Close Proposed Reforms Tax Australians' Loyalties By DARREN McLEAN	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
新税が世論をまっぷたつ オーストラリアのジョン・ハワード首相は先月13日、10パーセントの物品サービス税導入と大型所得減税などを盛り込んだ、大幅な税制改革法案を発表しました。来月3日の総選挙が近づく中、この改革について世論はまっぷたつに分かれ、賛否両論が渦巻いています。

On Aug. 13 Australia's Prime Minister John Howard unveiled his plans for a massive overhaul of the Australian tax system. If the ruling coalition is successful in the upcoming federal election, the tax reform will mark the biggest change to Australia's tax system in 100 years of federation.

The tax reform package is based on the introduction of a 10 percent goods and services tax (GST), similar to Japan's consumption tax.

To ease the impact of a GST, and lure support for tax reform, the Howard government has offered large incentives to every person, family and small business. These incentives include a range of tax cuts and increased payments, the most prominent being lower income tax rates.

So what will the new tax system mean for the average Australian? Under the new tax plan 80 percent of the Australian workforce will pay a maximum tax of 30 cents on the dollar (instead of 43 cents for those earning up to A$50,000 [¥4 million] per year). After the tax cuts and the GST, the average Australian family will be better off by an estimated $50 per week.

The elderly will receive a 4 percent pension increase and family and child-care allowances will rise.

Those buying their first home will receive $7,000 to soften house price rises. Australian farmers facing tough times with recent droughts and floods will reap large rewards with cuts in transport, fuel and operation costs.

One of few new taxes is a "sin tax." This will be introduced on alcohol and cigarettes, helping to promote a healthier lifestyle. In the same vein, the costs of private health insurance will be cut by one-third.

Australian tourism is one industry that will suffer under the new system. Overseas and domestic tourists traveling to Australia's hot spots such as Cairns and the Gold Coast will be hit with the GST. The opposition Labor Party attacked the Howard government on this sensitive issue, branding the GST a "sayonara tourism" tax.

One dubious plan under question is the spending of Australia's $18 billion future budget surpluses to fund the tax cuts. This is seen as very risky business, as the health of Australia's economy relies heavily on future economic action in Asia.

Anyone without a business degree would find the new tax plan confusing. For the average Australian it is hard to tell whether tax reform is an electoral tactic or a positive change to improve economic growth and make everyone better off.

Two weeks after Mr. Howard's tax reform was released, the Australian Labor Party came out with its own lightweight tax reform. Labor's tax plan strongly opposed the introduction of a GST but claimed the average Australian family would gain an extra $63 per week from tax credits under its system.

Consequently, a "hip pocket war" has evolved: Which party can put more in Australians' pockets? But in a time when politicians lack the public's confidence nobody seems sure which party has the people's interest.

On Aug. 30, the prime minister called for federal elections Oct. 3. Opinion polls taken immediately after the tax plan was released showed the nation was divided evenly in its support for tax reform. Fifty percent of the population opposed the tax plan indicating a tough road ahead for Prime Minister Howard if he is to be re-elected.

Residents of the Gold Coast have mixed feelings on the issue. Jules Dix, 30, lacks confidence in the political leaders, calling the GST plan "a huge government sort to grab more money." Rachelle Moore, 37, believes tax reform is a "Catch-22," but Ralph Millikan is more optimistic, calling the tax plan "a better and fairer system."

Australia has two alternatives to tax reform: back Labor's conventional approach or jump on Pauline Hanson's One Nation bandwagon.

In the lead up to the federal election Australians will be blasted from all angles with political tactics and hard sell campaigns. Through the confusion and uncertainty one thing is sure, however, the people will have the final say at the polling booths.

Shukan ST: Sept. 11, 1998

(C) All rights reserved