Posted on 05/26/2015 1:03:48 PM PDT by Citizen Zed
The Australian treasurer Joe Hockey is to ask state and territory governments to remove the consumption tax on tampons and other sanitary products.
The move was prompted after an online petition asking the government to stop taxing a "bodily function" attracted about 90,000 signatures.
Student Subeta Vimalarajah explains why she has taken on the government.
I was born in Sri Lanka and came to Australia with my parents when I was one. I was interested in politics from a young age, but it wasn't until I got to Sydney University and started living in Newtown that I actualised my passion for social justice. This year I'm one of the women's officers and on the student representative's council.
That has given me the opportunity to interact with passionate young people who are always looking for ways to change the world, as well as giving me experience with activism and campaigning.
I was aware there had been previous campaigns to abolish the tax, such as in 2013, but I'd assumed that it had since been removed. When I realised that was not the case, I thought Mr Hockey's tax review would be the perfect opportunity to draw attention to this issue.
Not only have I had more than 90,000 signatures on the petition, but 11,000 submissions have been sent to Mr Hockey's tax review.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
In Ohio, if it isn’t food, then it gets taxed.
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Nope. Not gonna do it.
Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho!
Tampon Tax gotta go....for big Hos!
Looks like a worthy campaign for U.S. Feminists, where are they on this one????
Maybe aging Gloria Steinem can get involved when she returns from Korea.
I can only fantasize the Naked protests and Demonstrations by Women on this. I can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!
We are constantly told that taxes do not increase the price of goods and services to the consumer. So why should anything be untaxed.
Out of curiosity, do Australia tax facial tissue, TP, or food stuffs? Those are also associated with bodily functions.
Four Hags and a Rag?
Another war on wymyn.
The shouldn’t tax my Mustang. It makes my mind feel good. Isn’t that a bodily function?
From the sound of the article, they must not be taxing TP down under.
Canada removed the GST from those items some time ago.
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
Cos I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman
And you’re working for no one but me
global vagina
Facial tissues, and toilet paper are taxed under the Australian Goods and Services Tax. Non-prepared food is not, but prepared food is.
When the tax was introduced in 2000, the original intent had been for it to be applied to everything, but to get it through the Senate, the government had to negotiate with a (now-defunct) minor party and they insisted on the exemption of non-prepared food, and medicines/medical equipment from the tax as a condition of passing the rest of it. Tampons were not included in the exemptions because that would meant menstruation was being treated as a disease.
Uptight, all right and out of sight. Yeah, Stevie Wonder saw that coming.
What kind of tacks? The kind you can push in with your thumb, or the ones you have to use a hammer on?
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