Chris Pearce (Aston, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

These amendments seek to amend the expiry dates of excise licences. The government is amending the Excise Laws Amendment (Fuel Tax Reform and Other Measures) Bill 2006 to change the date on which excise licences will expire. The bill currently provides that excise licences will have a common period of validity of three years and a common expiry date of 31 March. The initial period for a new licence will be two years after 31 March, following the initial approval—so it could be for a period of less than three years—and all existing licences will expire on 31 March 2007.

The amendment is that the validity period will remain three years with a common expiry date of 31 September. The initial period for a new licence will be two years after 30 September, following the initial approval—so it could be for a period of less than three years—and all existing licences will expire on 30 September 2006. This will provide an earlier opportunity for the Australian Taxation Office to ensure that all parties in the excise system that are licensed can be formally assessed against the legislative criteria for holding such a licence, which is designed to encourage compliance and to protect revenue. This change ensures that the renewal process occurs during a period of lower activity for certain licence holders, particularly tobacco growers.

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