Jeremy Rockliff has adopted the Hobart City Council Greens’ proposed tourist tax after he opposed it in 2018.
When the matter was debated at City of Hobart Council in November 2018 then Hobart Alderman and now Liberal Member for Clark, Simon Behrakis, fiercely opposed the move, as did then Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff
Now this Tourist tax has become Liberal Party policy.
The proposal from Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds was denounced by, and voted against, by all the alderman except the Green members of council.
Aldermen Simon Behrakis, Tanya Denison, Jeff Briscoe, Marti Zucco, Damon Thomas and Peter Sexton all expressed “serious concerns” over the proposal.
Ald Behrakis said the council should focus on “reducing the burden of red tape on small business and cutting down on bureaucracy, not adding further hurdles” that would hurt one of the region’s core industries.
It makes one wonder what the Liberals actually stand for now they are implementing a Greens policy to tax visitors – especially one so strongly opposed by their local member and opposed by the current premier.
Does Mr Behrakis still hold those views or is he now on board with Jeremy Rockliff’s Greens’ tourist tax, a tax Jeremy Rockliff opposed back then?
The Liberals latest thought bubble has been criticised by the business sector and the Tourism industry.
If introducing a new tax that was proposed by the Greens and opposed by the current Premier and Liberal Member for Clark is the best the Liberals can come up with after being in government for ten years then they are in more trouble than we thought.
Jeremy Rockliff started of this election campaign saying that the Liberals would not introduce any new taxes. Four days into the election he’s broken that promise and no-one can believe anything he says.
Dean Winter MP
Shadow Minister for Finance
