NSW’s peak business organisation, NSW Business Chamber, said the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) guidelines to justify carbon tax price rises are not about protecting small business and consumers but hiding the true impact of the carbon tax from Australians.
“The Federal Government, through the ACCC, is making the carbon tax the ‘Voldemort’ of taxes. It’s the tax whose name you dare not speak for fear of prosecution,” said Stephen Cartwright, CEO of the NSW Business Chamber.
“The carbon tax guidelines are not about protecting small business and consumers from price hikes, they are about the Government hiding the true impact of the carbon tax from Australians.”
“These guidelines give business no protection against excessive price increases, all they will get is another red tape burden.”
Mr Cartwright said the ACCC was essentially banning business from claiming price rises were the result of the carbon tax without a detailed investigation of the entire supply chain to justify the claim.
“I don’t know many small business owners who would have a team of forensic accountants at their disposal to investigate the carbon tax impact on every product or service they sell.
“It’s common sense if you slap a big new tax on the economy, especially on electricity, it will increase prices. The Government does not want business to be able to tell their customers the reason why.”