Fed: Beazley says ministers must be dropped

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2001
Fed: Beazley says ministers must be dropped

CANBERRA, Aug 24 AAP - Opposition Leader Kim Beazley today renewed calls for the sacking
of Treasurer Peter Costello and Small Business Minister Ian Macfarlane over the latest
GST controversy.

Mr Beazley said both ministers misled parliament over their knowledge of the matter,
which involved a possible breach of GST laws.

Labor yesterday released documents detailing concerns within Mr Macfarlane's Groom
Federal Electorate Council (FEC) that it breached GST laws in an arrangement to keep tax
due to be paid on a fundraiser for Mr Costello.

In parliament yesterday Mr Costello denied knowing about the alleged arrangement, while
Mr Macfarlane described the allegations as a wild goose chase.

Last night Mr Costello confirmed that his office informed Mr Macfarlane of the complaints.

Mr Macfarlane said the issue had nothing to do with him but he did speak to Mr Costello's
office when concerns were raised.

Mr Beazley said today that the ministers must be sacked, especially since the incident
occurred while the government was ruthlessly enforcing new tax rules on small businesses.

"These two knew of the tax scam and denied to parliament that they did and that's why
they should both go," Mr Beazley told the Seven Network.

"They have both as ministers misled parliament and that is an offence for which ministers
disappear. They both should go out."

Mr Beazley said that Mr Macfarlane maintained he had no knowledge of anything untoward
but was later found to have thorough knowledge of something wrong.

The Opposition Leader said Mr Costello had denied knowing about the matter in parliament
but later confirmed he had correspondence from the Groom FEC.

"So parliament's been misled, and at the heart of this misleading is a scam, a scam
organised by the party which imposed the GST and which is now ensuring that it is ruthlessly
enforced on small businesses all over the country," Mr Beazley said.

He denied that he raised the matter to shift focus from him after he faced criticism
for using his daughter's hospital treatment to illustrate problems in public hospitals.

He had told the Labor caucus of concerns he had about his daughter's treatment at a
Perth hospital when she suffered appendicitis and later had to clarify matters when the
government accused him of lying.

AAP lm/ldj

KEYWORD: TAX BEAZLEY

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