 The Hawke Government floated the Australian dollar in 1983 and partially deregulated the financial system . The Howard Government followed with a partial deregulation of the labour market and the further privatisation of state @-@ owned businesses , most notably in the telecommunications industry . The indirect tax system was substantially changed in July 2000 with the introduction of a 10 % Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) . In Australia 's tax system , personal and company income tax are the main sources of government revenue . 
