Senator MURPHY (5:30 PM) —As I understand it—and I am trying to understand it—

Senator Kemp —You are trying!

Senator MURPHY —Not quite as trying as you can be, Minister, I can tell you. I have had it put to me that, whilst it was not the intention of the GST legislation to double tax things, an amendment proposed in this A New Tax System (Indirect Tax and Consequential Amendments) Bill (No. 2) 1999 , that has a relationship to section 18—

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Senator Calvert) —I do not think we are debating the No. 2 bill. We are on the A New Tax System (Pay As You Go) Bill 1999 at the moment.

Senator MURPHY —Good, I am pleased about that. I want to ask this question.

Senator Kemp —If you just want to ask this question and that is it, and then you will leave the chamber and go to dinner, I will take the question.

Senator MURPHY —I am very appreciative of your indulgence, Minister, but it is an important issue, at least to the accountants who wrote this letter. I am not saying they are right, wrong or indifferent, but I would like to know the answer. They say that, as a result of this bill, there will be a double taxing effect—that is, if a hire car company buys a car prior to 1 July 2000, pays wholesale sales tax on it and then subsequently sells it as a second-hand car, they will be subject to the GST. As I understand the current act, before this amendment has gone through, they would have been able to claim an input tax credit for the WST.