Tax facts: Brendan O’Connor addresses Wednesday’s forum.
By John Van Klaveren
FEDERAL Small Business Minister Brendan O’Connor visited Geelong on Wednesday to allay business fears over the carbon tax.
Calling opposition leader Tony Abbott “one of great scaremongering politicians of all time”, Mr O’Connor said he understood why business owners were concerned.
Mr O’Connor was in Geelong for the first of a series of regional small business forums.
“The Geelong region has 30,000 small businesses, so the sector is very important to the local economy,” he said.
“Mr Abbott is playing Chicken Little by telling businesses the sky is falling but I’m here to say none of it’s true.”
Mr O’Connor said the “facts” of the carbon tax would be revealed from July 1.
“Experience will reassure people that it’s not going to change the way we live.
“I understand people are concerned but the impact will be negligible.”
Mr O’Connor said the Gillard Government had been careful to ensure small business avoided carbon tax collection requirements.
He also explained at the forum new initiatives in the federal Budget encouraging innovation and removing “paperwork and red tape”.
Raising the tax-free threshold from $6000 to $18,200 would take one million taxpayers out of the system, he said.
The Government was tacking an “array” of issues to reduce red tape.
