POPULAR WORDS

Premier Peter Beattie today told Parliament proposed land tax cuts could see 25-26,000 "private individuals" no longer paying the impost. "The Treasurer is considering a possibility that half the people who would be assessed as private individuals and who would be assessed as paying land tax, won't pay land tax. That's about 25,000 to 26,000 people," he says. "Queensland's property market has enjoyed a sustained boom period over recent years. This has brought enormous benefits to property owners and investors and confirmed our reputation as the growth capital of the nation. "However, as property prices have risen many people have been faced with increased land tax bills or have had to pay it for the first time. "We have always listened to the views of Queenslanders throughout the state and they have told us that this has been one of their major concerns. "The changes that the Treasurer has proposed and which he will outline when the Budget is delivered on June 7 have the potential to significantly reduce land tax for everyone who pays it." But Beattie says the extent of the cuts to land tax are dependent on the outcome of the Treasurers' meeting in Canberra on Wednesday. "The Treasurer has made it clear to Cabinet that his plans for land tax relief could change if Mr Costello has his way," he says. "As part of the GST agreement we have removed every tax that we promised—we have kept our end of the bargain. "However, Mr Costello is now trying to force the states to remove another six taxes. That was not part of the agreement and he is trying to rewrite history. "The agreement was to review the taxes and that is exactly what the Treasurer will do in Canberra over the next couple of days. "If Mr Costello bludgeons the States into removing all of the taxes he has on his agenda, we will not be able to provide land tax relief."