At 11:06 AM 1/6/99, Lindsay, Peter \(MP\) wrote:
>Rod
>
>Your information is simply incorrect.
>
>Firstly there is a component of WST your current costs and this is reflected
>in your charges for services. WST is to be abolished.
The WST component of current "costs" for people working in this area Peter
is so small as to be derisory. Books and journals? Electronic communication
services? Some travel, accomodation and fast food on the road? By and
large work related to the indigenous side of Native Title claims, for
example, is carried out on a shoestring, with people doing everything they
can to minimise the non-labour related aspect of operations.
>Secondly there are massive reductions in transport costs for the bush with
>diesel falling 23 cents a litre.
Anyone who believes that such savings will be translated into lower
wholesale prices for blankets and clothes in Aboriginal community stores is
naive in the extreme. The transport operators may do better, but that
doesn't mean that indigenous communities will. Small captive markets such
as these have very little power to exert any pressure on suppliers.
>Thirdly, GST is not applied to health, education, food etc
Nobody suggested otherwise Peter, though of course its really "some food"
and "some health". I note that you haven't said anything about other
aspects which I mentioned such as welfare services , legal costs etc
>
>and finally you ignore the compensation that is being given to all welfare
>recipients.
A substantial proportion of the Aboriginal population actually fall outside
the normal provisions of both the welfare and the taxation system at
present. I notice that there is a vaguely worded promise in the agreement
with the democrats to set something in place to deal people in such
positions, but no details, no figures, no mechanisms spelt out .
Another vague "we'll look at it" proposition pops up with refernce to Art.
Arts of various types make a huge direct contribution to the indigenous
economy. Can YOU explain how an artist sitting on the ground at Papunya is
going to benefit from having to become tax collector when he sells his
paintings?
Indigenous Australians will be better off!
>
Pigs might fly, Peter
Rod Hagen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hurstbridge, Victoria, Australia
WWW http://www.netspace.net.au/~rodhagen
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