CBD
Retail magnate Solomon Lew did not make it to the gala Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce event his Premier Investments sponsored on Monday for the man in the blue tie, Tony Abbott.
However, he did book four tables and had his chief executive Mark McInnes drop more than a few hints about the perilous state of retail in Australia, and in particular the unlevel playing field when it comes to the lack of GST on internet shopping imports.
It seems that after realising he was flogging a dead horse with the ALP, which did not seem much moved by his last campaign on the online GST issue in early 2011, Lew has turned to trying to bend the ear of the Liberals.
Abbott was introduced by McInnes, who took the opportunity to mention how the levy was allowing foreigners a free kick.
McInnes reminded the packed room at Melbourne's Crown Casino that the GST threshold in Australia was $1000 compared with £15 ($25) for Britain and $20 in Canada, while in the US there are state-based taxes.
If he was hoping to get a bite from Abbott, the best the Opposition Leader could do was say there would be an overarching white paper into tax. But no mention of the GST.
Abbott was on table 93, the top table, which was towards the back of the room, causing him to give some advice to the event that "it's hard to keep the applause going for a long walk like that".
Those he strolled by at the function included Australia's highest-paid public servant, postal chief Ahmed Fahour, former ANZ chairman Charles B. Goode, former Federal Court judge and media inquiry boss Ray Finkelstein, Andrew Fox and David and Ruvi Herzog.
Among the clutch of Liberal types paying homage were Joe Hockey, Michael Kroger, Alan Stockdale and Josh Frydenberg.
Left for lunch
Functions bringing together business types and the leftward side of the political spectrum seem much smaller these days, if a tete-a-tete at Sydney's Rockpool on Friday was any guide.
NAB boss Cameron Clyne, long regarded as one of the most Labor-sympathetic CEOs around, was spotted lunching with the AWU's top faceless man, Paul Howes. Our snout in the trough says there was no sign of Howes' squeeze, Qantas flack Olivia Wirth, and the two left together about 2.30pm.
Spruiking polls
If you believe the ad he bought on the front page of a Murdoch vanity publication on Monday, Arnold Schwarzenegger-touting financial seminar promoter Jamie McIntyre is a lock to win the lower house seat of New England at the upcoming federal election.
According to one poll cited, McIntyre, pictured in the ad in full finger-wagging flight, is a more popular choice to lead the country than Tony Abbott, Kevin Rudd, Clive Palmer or Christine Milne.
In another poll, a whopping 71 per cent of respondents said a "major third party" such as McIntyre's 21st Century Australia was needed to keep Labor and the Liberals honest.
And in a third, more people said they would vote for McIntyre in New England than his opponent, the National Party's Barnaby Joyce.
However, the small print discloses that the first two polls were internet jobs run on 21st Century's own website - indeed, there were just 69 responses to the "third party" question.
The third was also an internet poll of questionable scientific validity, although it was at least run by an independent party in the shape of Fairfax Media's Glen Innes Examiner.
And thanks to the editor of the 138-year-old paper, Donna Ward, CBD is able to supply an update. As of Monday, 110 people had responded to the poll: 43 favoured McIntyre, while Joyce had 35 votes.
However, "neither" is shaping as a dark horse, picked by 32 respondents.
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Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
At a Premier Investments‑sponsored Australia‑Israel Chamber of Commerce gala, Solomon Lew (via CEO Mark McInnes) highlighted the lack of GST on many low‑value internet imports, calling it an unlevel playing field that gives foreign sellers a “free kick.” McInnes noted Australia’s GST threshold is $1,000 compared with much lower thresholds in the UK (about £15/~$25) and Canada ($20).
The article says the situation is contributing to a perilous state for Australian retail by making online imports cheaper relative to local stores. That pricing advantage for foreign sellers can intensify competition and pressure margins for domestic retailers like those run by Premier Investments.
No. When introduced by Mark McInnes, Tony Abbott acknowledged tax issues generally and said there would be an overarching white paper on tax, but he did not specifically commit to changing the GST rules on online imports.
The packed event featured Tony Abbott and a roster of business and public figures mentioned in the article, including postal chief Ahmed Fahour, former ANZ chairman Charles B. Goode, Ray Finkelstein, Andrew Fox, David and Ruvi Herzog, and Liberal figures such as Joe Hockey, Michael Kroger, Alan Stockdale and Josh Frydenberg. Solomon Lew had booked tables but was not present.
According to the article, after earlier attempts to press the Australian Labor Party on online GST in early 2011 didn’t gain traction, Lew shifted efforts to influence Liberal politicians, hoping to prompt policy action on the perceived disadvantage facing Australian retailers from untaxed imports.
Jamie McIntyre ran prominent advertising suggesting strong electoral support and national popularity. The article says the polls cited were internet polls run on his own 21st Century website (small sample sizes) and one internet poll by the Glen Innes Examiner; these showed McIntyre ahead in some samples but the methodology and size were questionable.
The article flags them as of questionable scientific validity: two of the polls were run on McIntyre’s own website with very small response numbers (for example 69 responses to one question), and the independent local paper poll had only 110 responses, so they shouldn’t be treated as robust, representative surveys.
The coverage highlights how high‑profile retailers and corporate leaders actively engage with politicians on policy matters (like GST on online imports). For investors, that signals lobbying and policy risk can be material to retail businesses, and it’s worth watching political debate and potential tax changes that could affect competitive dynamics in the sector.
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