Axe the tax on tampons

Almost 50 people marched from Parliament House to Dumas House (where the state treasury offices are located) to present petitions to treasurer Mike Nahan on August 14. The petitions called for the removal of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on tampons and other women's sanitary products.

Protesters pointed out that products more commonly used by men including condoms and shaving cream are not taxed yet tampons and pads are.

In addition to the unfair bias against women, the GST is in its essence an unfair tax which targets poor people more than rich people. This is because the tax is set at a flat rate and poorer people are forced to spend a larger proportion of their income on consumer items.

Security guards prevented protesters entering the building but eventually conceded that they would take the petitions to deliver to Nahan's office.













[This article first appeared in Green Left Weekly on 14 August 2015.]