Forever is a long time

Dominic Perrottet has confirmed that he will expand his ‘penury forever tax’ to all homes in NSW, confirming that his first home buyer’s plan was the first step in introducing a land tax to every home in NSW.

20 January 2023

ALAN HAYES

 

THROUGHOUT history dictators have come and gone, kicking and screaming and crying foul when they’re ousted from power. While most of them lean toward the lunatic fringe,  they dream of a world where they alone control every aspect of a person’s life. So, the question has been asked but still not answered – “did Dominic Perrottet have such a dream at his twenty-first birthday party?”

 

It has been widely reported by the media that Perrottet has revealed, despite an initial lapse in memory, that he wore a Nazi uniform at his twenty-first birthday party, and apologising for what he described as a “deeply hurtful” act.

 

At a recent press conference Perrottet said he “was just naive and didn’t understand” the gravity of his actions at the time, and said his parents had reprimanded him for wearing the outfit the next day.

 

“I’m not the person I am today that I was at 21,” he said.

 

So, why didn’t Perrottet come clean about the Nazi uniform prior to entering politics? He said “there were many times throughout many years where I’ve thought of speaking about it and like I said, it’s been a difficult thing.”

 

But let’s be realistic, had Dominic Perrottet spilled the beans about his indiscretion years ago, it would have been doubtful that his political career would have made the ‘starting line’.

 

And what about Perrottet’s attitude toward his political agenda? His six cities vision and his recent push of his ‘forever tax’ on the family home, without taking it to the people to give him a mandate, has all the hallmarks of dictatorial behaviour.

 

In comments to the Daily Telegraph, the Premier refused to rule out further expanding his land tax to other home-owners if he is re-elected in March.

 

It follow remarks he made in June last year. He referred to his reform as "the start", then said "reform is a journey", and "it’s pretty clear where I want to get to". [Dominic Perrottet Press Conference, 14 June 2022].

 

In August the Premier told media outlets that he’d like to extend his tax to pensioners. When he was then asked by Labor in Parliament to guarantee that he will not make pensioners pay the land tax, Mr Perrottet said "We might even do it before.. [the election]". [ NSW Parliamentary Hansard, Budget Esimates, 7 September 2022].

 

As Treasurer, when he first signalled the introduction of a land tax, Mr Perrottet said: “What we’d like to see is about 80 percent of properties across the state have access to this scheme". [Dominic Perrottet Press Conference, 17 November 2020]. And “we are proposing that all properties move to a property tax eventually". [Dominic Perrottet quoted in online article, Daily Telegraph, 18 November 2020].

 

But it gets even worse - Dominic Perrottet’s land tax is set to climb immediately after NSW land values skyrocketed more than 26 per cent in the past year.

 

The rapid climb has led property experts to warn that first home buyers will pay more, despite real wages falling.

 

NSW Shadow Treasurer Daniel Mookhey warned that if Mr Perrottet is re-elected in March, he will see it as a green-light to introduce the broad-based land tax he has spent years campaigning for relentlessly.

 

“Leopards don’t change their spots. The Premier has been obsessed with introducing a land tax for years," said Mr Mookhey.

 

“His plan is to say what he must to get through the election, before he charges full-steam ahead and introduces a broad-based land tax.

 

“The fact that Mr Perrottet has again refused to rule-out extending his land tax even further shows that he will never give up on the plan he spent years fighting for.

 

“The only way to stop Mr Perrottet from going further is to stop Mr Perrottet from being re-elected.”

 

By contrast, opposition leader Chris Minns has promised not to introduce a broad-based land tax. Instead, 46,000 future homeowners will pay none or little stamp duty under NSW Labor’s fresh plan to help first home buyers.

 

Labor’s plan is targeted and simple to understand. First homebuyers purchasing a home worth up to $800,000 will pay no tax whatsoever. Those purchasing a property up to $1,000,000 will pay a discounted rate.

 

NSW Shadow Treasurer Daniel Mookhey claimed the prize for the party with the better plan.

 

“With real wages falling, interest rates rising, and tolls exploding, an annual land tax payment will further punish household budgets,” said Mr. Mookhey.

 

“We have the better plan. Tens of thousands of first home buyers get a tax cut. No one will need to worry about us imposing an annual land tax on their home, which could last forever.

 

“The Premier will say whatever he must to get through the election. But if he re-elected - he will charge full-steam ahead and introduce a broad-based land tax.

 

“If Mr Perrottet is re-elected in March, he will  see it as a mandate to introduce the broad based land tax he’s spent years campaigning for.

 

“The only way to stop Mr Perrottet from going further is for New South Wales to vote his divided government out and give NSW the fresh start the state deserves.”

 

Perrottet may now appear contrite after getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar but do the dreams of the young really ever change? After all, he wants his government to be re-elected and he wants his ‘forever tax’ on the family home!