Labor takes fight against 'divorce tax' to the federal court
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Version 0 of 1. Slugging would-be divorcees with higher court fees is nothing more than a revenue-raising exercise, a Labor senator says. Labor is challenging the so-called divorce tax in the federal court, after the Abbott government’s previous attempt to raise fees by a smaller amount was disallowed by the Senate. “This is a revenue-raising process and that’s what the intent of the original regulation was – it’s a savings measure,” Claire Moore said outside the court in Brisbane on Friday. Related: Coalition defies Senate to increase cost of applying for a divorce Last month attorney general George Brandis introduced regulation to raise the cost of filing a divorce from $845 to $1,200, and the cost of issuing a subpoena from $55 to $120. The new fees came into effect on 13 July. Moore is spearheading the application with Brisbane-based Labor MP Graham Perrett. The key legal point is whether the new fees are, in substance, the same as the disallowed fees. The opposition says the government has attempted to sneak the changes under the radar over the winter break from parliament. But Brandis has accused Labor of hypocrisy after the party’s former health minister Nicola Roxon made a similar move to reduce the Medicare rebate for cataract surgery in 2009. The case was adjourned last Wednesday after the attorney-general’s counsel successfully argued for more time to prepare. |