‘Wild accusations and no ambition’: ACT Chief Minister savages GPs over payroll tax
GP groups have been fearmongering and do not understand how payroll tax applies, he says.
The ACT Chief Minister has hit out at GPs, saying they are making “wild accusations” in an attempt to dodge payroll tax and are “lacking ambition” when it comes to bulk-billing.
On Sunday, Andrew Barr announced that practices in the territory would be exempt from payroll tax for two years but only if they bulk-billed at least 65% of patients.
The policy was immediately dubbed a form of “extortion” by some doctors.
But in a lengthy response before the ACT Legislative Assembly yesterday, Mr Barr said the doctor groups were inflating the financial impact on patients because they did not grasp how payroll tax actually worked.
