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Three down, one to go: Government buckles on another bounty cut
Download PDF MEDIA RELEASE The Hon Simon Crean MP Shadow Industry and Regional Development Minister Manager of Opposition Business
THREE DOWN ONE TO GO:
11 June 1997
GOVERNMENT BUCKLES ON ANOTHER BOUNTY CUT
Another of the Government's job-destroying Budget cuts has hit the fence.ยท with the revelation that the Machine Tools and Robots Bounty will not now be cut short, Shadow Industry Minister Simon Crean said today.
"Following the Government's recent buckling on their plans to abolish the Ships and Books Bounties, only the abolition of the Computer Bounty remains to be reversed.
"That makes it three down, one to go," Mr Crean said.
"Hidden away in Government amendments to the Bounty Legislation Amendment Bill is the welcome news that the Government will oppose its own legislation to abolish the Machine Tools Bounty from 20 August 1996. It will now continue for the full period allowed in the legislation, negating a projected saving of $3 .5 million.
"The reversal on the Machine Tools and Robots Bounty follows a sustained campaign by manufacturers, their industry representatives and the Labor Opposition, which highlighted the negative effects of cutting the bounty short.
"As with the campaigns on the shipbuildi ng industry, the book printing industry and the automotive industry, it demonstrates that this Government will buckle and reverse bad decisions.
"This should give heart to the Australian computer industry, whose Computer Bounty still faces the axe. If anything, their case is the strongest, because the Minister's own election policy contained a quite specific commitment - to continue the Computer Bounty to the end of2000.
"Labor have opposed all four bounty cuts from the beginning. Once again, it is only Labor which is backing po li cies which build jobs, investment and exports," Mr Crean said.
Further information: Phillip Tardif (06) 277 4803 or 0411 491186
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