There’s one thing clear about the so-called tampon tax: nobody really wants to go near it.
The sensitive issue of the GST on women’s sanitary products has been given new life in the federal election campaign after disappearing from the radar in the past year.
It once made a treasurer blush and now it’s forced an opposition leader to backtrack.
Labor Leader Bill Shorten reignited the debate after flatly ruling out scrapping the tax on the feminine goods when quizzed at a Brisbane voter’s forum on Wednesday night.
“No,” he answered, insisting a straight answer was better than a murky one.
But a day later, the response turned into just that as the language become a tad cloudy.
The Labor leader pointed the finger at the states.
“Labor has always been open to removing the GST from sanitary items,” a spokesman for Shorten said in a statement.
“If we can get the agreement of all jurisdictions and if an alternative revenue source can be identified.”
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen insisted that money from the so-called Netflix tax could have paid for removing the tampon tax, but the states refused that offer.
“Bill was just making that clear last night,” he told ABC radio.
He in turn pointed the finger at former treasurer Joe Hockey for failing to push the point.
For his part, Hockey also stumbled, blushed and grinned when asked about the tampon tax at an episode of the ABC’s Q&A program last year.
