Brendan Ryan (Labour)

Last week's budget introduced a 1% levy on all income. The Government rowed back on it to some extent yesterday by exempting those earning the minimum wage. I still have some concerns about it and am not sure whether it was raised in the House before — I do not believe it was raised today. I refer to the knock-on effect of the 1% levy. Many local authorities apply a bin tax waiver for individuals and families who are liable to no tax of any kind. Unfortunately there are some privatised systems around the country under which it is not applied, but that is a separate issue. I ask the Leader to urge the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Minister for Finance to ensure no family entitled to a waiver before the introduction of the 1% levy will become ineligible for it as a consequence of its introduction. All Senators would agree that families who have been hurt by the 1% levy should not be hurt further through the loss of entitlement to a bin tax waiver.