The Sunday Age yesterday had a report about a report to be presented at this week’s Tax Summit calling for government assistance in the from of tax breaks for businesses facing restructure as a result of a strong dollar and or other challenges.
If there is even a hint of such support I would expect newsagents to be at the front of the line with their hand out and arguing that any such assistance should be retrospective given what the government took away in 1999 in the name of competition.
Outside of the federal government facilitated restructure of newspaper and magazine distribution in 1999, newsagents are in the middle of an even more comprehensive restructure. In fact, it is three restructures: an overall retail restructure, the shopping centre restructure and the print media restructure.
Newsagents could use more than a tax break. They could use help in dealing with landlords on financial and permitted use terms. They could use help in dealing with magazine distributors on achieving equitable magazine supply terms. They could use help in dealing with newspaper publishers on achieving fair compensation for newspaper home delivery.
I doubt that the push from Ernst and Young and others for a tax break to help businesses undergoing restructure. But in case it does, newsagents need to be ready.