Tourism industry ads attack Gillard

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This was published 11 years ago

Tourism industry ads attack Gillard

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has rejected claims her government has bailed out car makers while turning its back on tourism.

Ads are running in major papers yesterday accusing Ms Gillard of pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into steel and automotive industries while hitting tourism with new and increased taxes and charges.

Ms Gillard said efforts were being made to save jobs in many sectors.

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"Right across the economy we are working to protect jobs," she told the Seven Network on Thursday.

"We did that during the days of the global financial crisis, and we are still doing it now...

"Some industries are under pressure because of our high Aussie dollar, tourism amongst them, and we will keep working with the tourism industry to see what we can do."

One tax mentioned in the ads is the government's proposed increase in the departure tax to $55 from $47, which the industry has described as a cash grab that unfairly impacts trans-Tasman visitors.

Ms Gillard said the government had seen an opportunity to raise revenue without impacting the industry, and the increased payment at airports was for people going overseas.

"The big pressure for the tourism industry is the high Aussie dollar makes it cheaper for people to go overseas, and they are (doing so) in record numbers," Ms Gillard said.

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"We thought that increasing that kind of charge for people leaving our country to go and spend their money overseas was a good place to earn an extra bit of revenue."

The ads have been funded by a number of groups including the Tourism and Transport Forum, Flight Centre, Australian Federation of Travel Agents and the National Tourism Alliance.

"The travel and tourism industry is united in its opposition to these new taxes and changes, and call on you to block these tax increases and to support Australian tourism," the ad says.

AAP

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