Shadow Minister Media Releases
New Rees Taxes To Hurt Struggling Small Business (28/11/2008)
Struggling small businesses will bear the brunt of the Rees Government’s new parking levies and higher bridge tolls, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Don Page said today.
“A recent NRMA survey of 570 businesses and motorists showed that 61% said the congestion toll would increase their transport costs and 35% said they would attempt to pass on the extra charges to their customers.
“However, many will not be able to pass on those extra costs and will struggle because of that. Very few of those surveyed said they could adjust their travel times,” Mr Page said.
The bulk of motorists using the bridge are businesses, trades people and other service providers serving the city.
“The parking price hikes from $950 to $2,000 will also add costs to businesses at a difficult economic time.”
“Instead of encouraging economic growth, we have the NSW Labor Government introducing new taxes and charges to raise revenue, making life even more difficult and expensive for businesses,” Mr Page said.
Mr Page said that Nathan Rees’ disastrous Mini-Budget was simply an attack on hardworking families.
“The increase of land taxes and the abolition of the Northern NSW petrol subsidy will have a ripple effect on the success of small businesses across NSW,” Mr Page said.
“New South Wales is the highest taxing state in Australia, has the slowest rate of growth and one of the highest levels of unemployment, and yet Nathan Rees chooses to slug small businesses with even more pain in the hip pocket.
“You would think that after 13 years of governing, NSW Labor would have worked out how to balance the Budget, but they can’t even do that.
“Once again, the incompetent NSW Labor Government has leaned on small business operators to prop up their budgetary problems, and these hard working people have every right to be outraged,” he said.
