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Therese Rein, I blame you

Therese Rein and Kevin Rudd

In my High Maintenance column this week, I damn our politicians for continuing to uphold the GST on tampons, nine years after an exemption was first tabled in Parliament. Despite Labor Party protests in 2000, the Rudd government haven’t reviewed the tax. [Why their wives/daughters/mistresses haven’t managed to convince them to drop it, I just don’t understand.] But no matter, Coles have come to the rescue! The retailer has reduced prices on all feminine hygiene products by 10 per cent to offset the GST.

Let’s hope the Coles campaign – “You shouldn’t be taxed for being a woman” – will agitate the issue back in Canberra. Though with reports the government pulls in around $25 million a year from the GST on feminine hygiene products, it will be a tough sell.

Therese Rein and Kevin Rudd

User comments
You title your article by pitting the blame on Ms Rein for not getting rid of taxes on tampons when it's hardly her job to do so. Blame her husband, or Nicola Rozon for not doing anything about it. What Coles are doing is great, but it's needs more punch from other third parties. Perhaps Grazia could contact a lobby group who are good at these types of things (like annoying governments to change legislations), or start an online petition that can be tweeted or Facebooked about to gain momentum and awareness. This isn't really about making unsubstantiated blames as opposed to a proactive call to action of Australian women.
Oh Ms Pitt, Blame Therese? She has already been criticised in this mag for her dress sense, but no kudos for keeping her surname, or being the first wife of an Aussie PM for still working. Now it's her fault for the tampons? No, I think our politicians and women in general need to start campaigning again on the issue., and stop being so apathetic. Maybe you could start it? As for coles, its clever, but it's an add campaign, not a political statement. If you want to know what Coles really thinks of women maybe have a look at how they treat their female staff, if they have flexible hours for mothers, pay maternity leave, or how they deal with sexual harassment claims. But I do think you are very right, this Coles ad might remind people, and get it back on the agenda.

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