NSW Premier Mike Baird Wants Aussies To Pay More For Music Downloads

Recently, Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey said he has found a way to collect GST on all imported parcels, which he will share with state premiers when they meet in August.

The leaders’ retreat at Sydney’s Victoria Barracks has been organised so Prime Minister Tony Abbott and state and territory leaders can discuss which level of government should pay for what, and how.

Ms Palaszczuk, who will be seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, believes Queensland is entitled to $1 billion, with the state claiming 20 per cent of the nation’s population.

New South Wales Premier Mike Baird this week endorsed GST reform.

So how will this work?

The Premier said the talks had not changed his mind on reform to the GST.

Take your pick today: modelling by the Institute for Whatever expects the impact of an increase in Australia’s GST rate to be this many thousand dollars, and the poorest households will feel it the most.

Retail Council chief executive Anna McPhee said the decision was an important step forward in ensuring goods and services consumed domestically were taxed in the same way. According to modelling done by NSW, on current projections “by 2030 the annual budget deficits across the commonwealth and states will be about $45 billion, of which about $35 billion will be generated by health”. “Other people’s focus may well be on the revenue pressures, but I do want to say that all of us are in a fiscal bind at the moment, and we’ve got to look at all the options”.

With the Medicare levy falling under federal taxes, an increase would skirt around her commitment without breaking it.

This is a Tory scheme that is nothing but an inefficient and unfair excuse for not raising the top marginal income tax rates.

“It’s time for the states to open up discussion about tax harmonisation”.

If Mr Baird’s proposal goes ahead, and if the “Netflix tax” comes into effect, Aussies will pay 15 per cent more for their music downloads, including those provided by streaming services.

Mr Barr said: “There’s now agreement on the problems that we face within our federation that we need to raise more revenue, taxes are going to have to increase”.

He said the tax Green Paper would be released “in the next month or so” and the white paper early in the new year followed by “dealing in an honest and upfront way with anything that might be proposed”.

The social services minister, Scott Morrison, told Macquarie Radio on Monday that lower-income earners would need to be compensated if the GST were to rise.

The details will be thrashed out at a meeting of the treasurers scheduled for August but the aim is to apply the tax to items values as low as $20.

Further to this, Mr Baird has suggested that raising the GST to 15 per cent will provide state governments with enough revenue to fund the national health system. There was also recognition of the need to consider extending Medicare to cover treatments in hospitals, based on efficient pricing.