Word is that the Federal Budget concessions given to the wine industry via rebates on the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) were a last-minute inclusion in the budget papers. Cynics might say that the tax relief given to winemakers might have something to do with the fact that the wine industry is a regionally based industry and there are a number of key marginal seats (Kingston and Wakefield in South Australia for example) which have strong wine and grapegrowing influences. There's nothing like a dose of poll nerves and self-preservation fears to generate some clear thinking among politicians.
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