Grey Nomad Tax
THE dream of setting off on a trip of a lifetime through Queensland’s regional towns and cities is being wrecked by a heartless tax introduced by Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government. Grey nomads who’ve done their sums to plan a trip in a motorhome or campervan are being slugged thousands of dollars extra by Labor. Many worked their whole lives to afford a dream vehicle or sold their houses to fund the purchase. But the Labor government has also done the sums and found there’s revenue to be raised.
Labor needed to prop up a sick budget and an $83 billion debt bomb and decided grey nomads could cop the next whack. It’s not the mega-rich Labor is hurting, just normal Queenslanders who worked hard and paid taxes. Now Annastacia Palaszczuk wants them to pay more.
The vehicle tax will add thousands of dollars to the cost of a campervan – cash that should have been spent in the regional towns along the path of the grey nomads’ travels. These economies rely heavily on the stream of grey nomads. Bit by bit and tax by tax, Labor is making it harder for Queenslanders to reach their dreams. On behalf of Queenslanders, I have written to the Premier, asking her to scrap this tax.
Deb Frecklington, Liberal National Party Leader
MICROCHIP TO SAVE A LIFE
A CANBERRA man is mourning the loss of a precious friend – a 17-year-old dog named Izzy, who wandered off and was euthanised by rangers. The ACT government's city services directorate advised that Izzy appeared to be in poor health, the contact details found on the microchip were not current and attempts to contact her guardian failed.
Anyone who shares a home with a companion animal will understand that lurch in the stomach when you realise they’ve wandered off through a door you thought was shut. Panic is followed by recrimination then fear of what might befall your pet.
If dog or cats are microchipped, there is hope of finding them, but only if you have updated your contact details on the microchip database.
We are a mobile nation – we move to new streets, towns or states. When you move, you have to notify power companies, phone and post. Update the register of microchips too. Log on to petaddress.com.au using your dog or cat’s microchip number and it will redirect you to the database that lists your contact details. If you have moved since you last registered a microchip, check it now. It might save your furry friend’s life.
Desmond Bellamy, Special Projects Coordinator, PETA Australia
