Alex White (Labour)

Whatever strategy the Government devises to address the public finances and economic downturn, it is clear taxation will feature as part of it. Will the Leader establish from the Minister for Finance when it is intended the Commission on Taxation will bring forward its report? While the basis upon which the commission was set up was laudable, namely, to look at the balance of various taxation measures across the community, the context has changed considerably, given the situation in which we find ourselves. The question of taxation in any community is political rather than technical and is not something that falls to be resolved by a group of experts. This is not a criticism of the experts involved, who are well qualified in their field. Ultimately, the level, type and mix of taxation, the sort of issues raised by Senator Fitzgerald — to sustain public services at the level we wish to see in our community and to address the unfortunate hole that has emerged in the public finances — should be dealt with in the political rather than the purely technical context. In the current context, it is not acceptable to put off the issue and debate any longer. Nor is it acceptable that the debate should be left to an expert commission in the manner proposed.