SA marginal seats hardened against bank tax
Support for the government’s bank tax has slid again, with half of voters in eight marginal seats in South Australia opposed to the tax and its estimated consequences for the state’s business affairs, according to the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA).
In a poll commissioned by the ABA, seven in 10 Liberal and one in four Labor voters opposed the tax, with overall support down four per cent to 34 per cent, with 19 per cent undecided.
ABA chief executive, Anna Bligh said South Australians linked increased tax to dwindling business.
“The main reasons that people are against the tax is because they think it will increase costs for South Australians, affect investment in the state and reduce South Australia’s competitiveness compared to other states that don’t have the tax,” she said.
“This poll reinforces that there is still strong opposition to the policy, and for good reason.”
The number of those opposed to the tax remained unchanged from the last ABA poll, at 47 per cent on 18 July. Despite this, Bligh said a slip in support was a crucial indicator of growing concern in many communities and has continued to throw support behind its abandonment.
“The business community in South Australia has been very vocal in opposing the tax and they are being heard loud and clear by the public which wants jobs and growth, not a tax that will drive investment away,” she said.
“The ABA has said all along that this tax is bad policy that will damage the South Australian economy.
“South Australians remain very concerned about the future of the state and the sooner this bad tax policy is abandoned, the better.”
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