Costitutional Crisis

[Apache <apache@bear.apana.org.au>]

5 Aug 1997 
==========  

Canberra AUSTRALIA

The High Court of Australia in a land mark case today found that
billions of dollars of taxes imposed every year on fuel, alcohol and
tabacco which increases the prices of these products by up to several
hundred percent were illegal and unconstitutional.

The court found that the states had no legal right under the
constitution to impose such taxes.

The federal government has offered to help the states collect the
revenue and pass it back to the states by way of grants. Calls have
been made for the imposition of consumption taxes to replace the lost
revenue.

None of the state premiers made any comments regarding the return of
the multi-billions in illegally collected assets to taxpayers.

The illegal taxes continue to be collected even after the High Courts
ruling.

The finding has resulted in some panicing state premiers saying the
High Court seemed to be intent on making the states ungovernable.

The federal government worried about the possibility that taxpayers
could  sue the states for repayment of mult-billions of dollars in
unconstitutionally collected taxes has announced it plans to
introduce a 100% 'Unjust Windfall Tax' to confiscate the proceeds of
winning claims. Legal experts believe such action by the federal
government may in itself may be in breach of the constitution.

--
Death to Tyrants
Help Austalians re-instate the constitution