NSW: Fahey says survey proves GST a good thing

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2000
NSW: Fahey says survey proves GST a good thing

SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - Finance Minister John Fahey today said a survey finding that the
GST had made an average grocery basket four per cent cheaper was proof the controversial
tax was fair.

Mr Fahey said the survey by the Australian Consumers Association showed consumers were
not in "too bad a position".

The ACA survey found that some grocery items had fallen by up to 10 times more than
had been expected.

"We always believed that it was a fair tax and I think the figures that have come through
make it very clear that it is a fair tax," Mr Fahey said on his way into the federal government's
last Cabinet meeting for the year.

"It was one that the Australian public really shouldn't have feared."

The ACA price check of 32 supermarket products was undertaken in 138 supermarkets in
24 cities across Australia.

It discovered that the cost of items such as laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid,
cooking oil and pet food had fallen much more dramatically than expected.

AAP jas/jw/cjh

KEYWORD: TAX FAHEY

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