Norfolk Island Bananas

Sales Tax Still Operating

From Our Own Correspondent CANBERRA, April 13.

THE Federal Government, whilst recognising the injustice of levying sales tax on bananas entering Australia from Norfolk Island, has not yet taken steps to remove the tax. The islanders are being penalised simply because they are not an “integral part of the Commonwealth,” as the Commissioner of Taxation explains.

The matter, however, has been noted for consideration when any amendment of the Sales Tax Acts takes place. But no amending Bill has been yet prepared either in regard to this or a number of other anomalies. The Norfolk Islanders may console themselves with the thought that they are suffering in only a small degree what the whole of Australia is suffering acutely.