FED:Greens won't block company tax rate cut

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2010
FED:Greens won't block company tax rate cut

CANBERRA, Aug 1 AAP - The Australian Greens won't block attempts to bring down the
rate of company tax in the Senate, party leader Bob Brown says.

A policy document issued in March stated the Greens would return the company tax rate
to 33 per cent and broaden the company tax base by reducing tax concessions.

However, Labor has promised to reduce company tax to 29 per cent, and the coalition
to 28.5 per cent.

Senator Brown said although it would "squeeze" small business and services, the Greens
wouldn't oppose either move.

"We won't be blocking anything, the Liberals and the Nationals are the blockers," he
told Network Ten on Sunday.

"We always look to see where we can get improvement."

The Greens are likely to hold the balance of power in the upper house after the next
federal election, but Senator Brown said he would not be seeking a spot in Prime Minister
Julia Gillard's cabinet if Labor was victorious at the August 21 poll.

He also denied rooting for either party's victory.

"I want the Greens to win. We are not a faction or a preference machine or a ginger
group for either of the big parties," he said.

"They are more like each other than either of them is with us. They've got no vision."

But Senator Brown admitted that the almost constant leaking against Labor was beneficial
to the Greens.

"The Greens are showing a stability in this election campaign, as we've done in the
parliament, that both of these parties lack," he said.

The Greens national election campaign will be launched in Canberra on Sunday.

AAP bsb/rl/goc/jm

KEYWORD: POLL10 GREENS

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