[Greens-Media] Bob Brown - Britain raises top tax rate as Australia blocks Greens' move to do same

[Kelly, Russell (Sen B. Brown)]

25 November 2008

Britain raises top tax rate as Australia blocks Greens' move to do same
The Greens will make another attempt to put excessive executive salaries
in the spotlight in the Senate today.
Overnight: 
1.	The United Kingdom government raised the top marginal rate tax
from 40 to 45 per cent on earnings above 150,000 pounds per year.
2.	The Australian government, supported by the Opposition, blocked
the Greens' Senate move to raise the top marginal tax from 45 to 50 per
cent on earnings above $1 million per year.
The Brown government's tax adjustment was to help fund stimulus to
Britain's economy, including a cut in Value Added Tax from 17.5 per cent
to 15 per cent, as well as pension and child benefit rises.
"The Greens' tax increase proposal was much more modest than the United
Kingdom's but it would have raised $250 million per annum to help fund
the $30 pension increase being extended to carers and other Australians
on very low incomes," Senator Bob Brown said.
Today, Senator Brown will again move for Australian government action on
excessive pay packages.
Today's motion: "That the Senate calls on the Government to detail
before Parliament rises in 2008, the actions it will take in relation to
the concerns about excessive executive salaries expressed by the Prime
Minister (Mr Rudd) in both Australian and international forums."

For further information, contact Russell Kelly on 0438 376 082