Tobacco tax rise should not fund tax cuts: Bandt
Greens Treasury spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said if the government is looking to put up the price of cigarettes, they should use that money to invest in areas like hospitals and medical research, not to give big business and the very wealthy a tax cut.
“Putting up the price of cigarettes to stop people smoking and to fund health or medical research is fundamentally a good idea. Putting up the price of cigarettes just so you can give the likes of Gina Rinehart a tax cut is fundamentally unfair,” Mr Bandt said.
“The Liberals are treating tax reform as nothing more than a way to give large companies and very wealthy individuals a tax cut.”
“The Greens want tax reform to start at the top, not the bottom.”
“If you are going to put up the price of cigarettes, let’s use the money to invest in our hospitals, healthcare and medical research rather than giving the very wealthy a tax break that they do not need.”
Media contact: Adam Pulford, 0429 109 054