qld to try and tax new arrivals

Move to tax new arrivals
From: The Sunday Mail (Qld) By Darrell Giles
October 16, 2005

PREMIER Peter Beattie has hinted at a relocation tax for people moving from interstate to Queensland, to help pay for the billions of dollars needed to fix the health system.

Mr Beattie, announcing new hospital spending yesterday, said he was looking at various options for his October 25 mini-Budget, including slugging new arrivals to the state.
"We will use the surplus, we will have belt-tightening across Government and there will have to be other money raised," he said outside Brisbane's Royal Children's Hospital.

Mr Beattie said the Forster review indicated that $1.5 billion in extra funding would be needed every year to improve the health system.

"Because of our growing pains, 1500 people (coming to Queensland) every week . . . I think it would be fair if we found a way to actually get some of the people moving here from interstate to make a contribution towards the health system, because that's where a lot of pressure is coming from."

Mr Beattie said a relocation tax would not be the only solution – Queenslanders might also be hit with some sort of levy to help fund the health package.

The State Government will spend an extra $12 million on cancer treatment.
The cancer relief package, to be detailed today, will provide extra medical staff, improved treatment services and more appointments for patients.

Mr Beattie said the increased spending was in response to pressure faced in oncology units at the Royal Brisbane and Women's, Royal Children's, Princess Alexandra, Gold Coast, Townsville and Cairns hospitals.

The cancer funding follows other interim measures announced this week, including $2 million in elective surgery allocations, a $5.3 million cardiac package and a $21.4 million emergency department package in Brisbane and regional hospitals.

Another $7 million will go to seven hospitals in and around Brisbane to perform elective surgery on an additional 2700 public patients.



He can't do it it's against the constitution.
See section 117 below;

117. A subject of the Queen, resident in any State, shall not be subject in any other State to any disability or discrimination which would not be equally applicable to him if he were a subject of the Queen resident in such other State.