Second Reading Speech
Mr SLIPPER (Fisher-Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration)I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
The Excise Tariff Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2002 contains amendments to the Excise Tariff Act 1921 that are consequential to the amendments to the Excise Act 1901 contained in the Excise Laws Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2002.
The amendments remove a previous reference to how the volume of alcohol should be physically measured and substitute references to the new sections in the Excise Act 1901. The new references provide that excise duty on excisable alcoholic beverages is payable on the higher of the labelled alcohol content or the actual alcohol content, or ascertained in accordance with the rules (if any) for working out the percentage by volume of alcohol in the beverage. These rules may be determined by the CEO (Commissioner for Taxation), by instrument in writing.
Full details of the measures contained in this bill are included in the explanatory memorandum, which I have already presented.
I commend the bill to the House.