Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has threatened to introduce legislation to parliament to overturn the Australian Taxation Office’s decision to ban credit card payments if the government does not act.
Mr Taylor said the government should reverse the ATO credit card payment ban immediately, arguing that small businesses should not have to wait for further consultation.
“They should override the tax office decision today, and if they are not prepared to do it, we will take legislation to the parliament next week on Monday to do this,” he said at a press conference. “Small businesses deserve better.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said earlier that the ATO was an independent body and that the government did not have the power to intervene directly in its decisions.
“They are independent. Governments can’t direct the tax office to implement tax in a certain way,” Ms Wong said.
Mr Taylor rejected the need for consultation, saying: “We don’t need consultation on this, we need change.”
He added: “The legislation would overturn the decision that’s been made. It’s pretty simple. It’s not going to be a complicated piece of legislation. The government, if they want to do it, can do it today, and they should.”
