reprinted from:
Airport terror tax mooted
By Luke McIlveen The $38 Passenger Movement Charge on all international tickets includes a $3 fee for the movement of visitors and equipment during the Olympics, but remains in place more than two years after the event. According to the 1998-99 Budget papers, "the $3 increase will ... help meet the additional costs arising from the movement of people and Games-related equipment across Australia's borders at the time of the Sydney 2000 Games". Now, Labor claims the tourism industry is pressuring the federal Government to impose a terrorism tax on tickets of between $8 and $12 to compensate for business lost since the Bali bombings. In 2001-2002 the Government collected $283.64 million from the Passenger Movement Charge. In addition, the $10 Ansett ticket tax has raked in at least $130 million since its introduction in October 2001. Transport Minister John Anderson denied any plans for a new departure tax. "So far as a departure tax is concerned, there has been no talk of that in government circles," he said. But Opposition transport spokesman Martin Ferguson said the PMC would soon be pushed up to $50. "It's time to stop using travellers as tax
targets and give the tourism and airline industries a fair go," Mr Ferguson
said. |
