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Labor vows to axe 'discriminatory' tampon tax if it wins federal election Labor vows to axe tampon tax if it wins federal election
(35 minutes later)
Labor has promised to axe the tampon tax if it wins government, calling the GST on women’s sanitary products unfair and discriminatory. Labor has promised to axe the so-called tampon tax if it wins government, saying it has found a way to get the states on board.
The deputy Labor leader, Tanya Plibersek, said applying the 10% GST to the 12 natural therapies such as herbalism and naturopathy would recoup the $30m that would be lost.
“Because we are able to replace the money we believe we will be able to get the states and territories on board this time around,” Plibersek told the Nine Network on Sunday.
The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, said the government already had the policy in place, but it was the states and territories – which must all agree to changes to the GST – that had stopped the change.
“The point is this: any change to the GST must be agreed by each state and territory government. And there is no agreement for the states and territories on this issue,” she told Nine.
Australian women spend around $300m on sanitary products each year, with each item attracting the 10% GST because they are not considered necessities, the opposition said in a statement on Sunday.Australian women spend around $300m on sanitary products each year, with each item attracting the 10% GST because they are not considered necessities, the opposition said in a statement on Sunday.
However, products such as incontinence pads, sunscreen, nicotine patches and even Viagra are exempt from the tax.However, products such as incontinence pads, sunscreen, nicotine patches and even Viagra are exempt from the tax.
The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, calling it a “tax on women”, has urged the Turnbull government to do away with it in next month’s federal budget. The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, is calling it a “tax on women”.
To recoup the $30m that would be lost, Labor suggest the GST be applied to 12 natural therapies such as herbalism and naturopathy. “We’ll do it if we get elected – but I hope Mr Turnbull will just adopt our solution in next week’s budget,” he said on social media.
There is already bipartisan support for removing the private health insurance rebate for these therapies, which the country’s chief medical officer and the National Health and Medical Research Council say are not supported by clinical evidence.
Scrapping the tampon tax will also be an important step forwards in gender equity, the statement adds.
The deputy Labor leader, Tanya Plibersek, and the opposition health spokeswoman, Catherine King, were set to formally launch the policy on Sunday, according to Fairfax Media.
TaxTax
Labor partyLabor party
Australian politicsAustralian politics
HealthHealth
Alternative medicineAlternative medicine
Tanya Plibersek
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