Assistant Treasurer Mulino Says Govt Knew About ATO Credit‑Card Ban Months Before Public Reveal

Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino has confirmed that the government was aware the Australian Taxation Office was considering a ban on credit‑card payments for July, and that this knowledge pre‑dated the public announcement by several months.

The admission, delivered with a dead‑pan grin that could have been lifted from a comedy sketch, highlights how policy decisions can percolate behind the scenes long before they hit the headlines.

While the ATO’s plan itself remains the headline, Mulino’s confession has left market observers clutching their spreadsheets and wondering what other policy shifts might already be simmering in the Treasury’s back‑room.

The revelation serves as a reminder that, in the world of finance, the quiet hum of a pending regulation can be louder than any public press release.