Treasurer Peter Gutwein seized on information buried in the comprehensive policy document which stated the party wanted to look at taxation measures in other states, dealing with vacant properties.

”Retirees who spend part of the year interstate, and mum and dad property investors, may be particularly hard hit by this new Labor tax,” he said.

Labor’s housing spokesman Minister Josh Willie said there would be no tax imposed on Tasmanian shack owners and accused the government of having no real plan to tackle the crisis within the state’s homeownership and rental markets.

He said the party wanted to review taxation measures introduced interstate, including foreign investor and vacant property taxes, to see what impact they had on housing affordability.

“But we have to take a measured and evidenced based approach to the issue of taxation to avoid discouraging investment,” Mr Willie said.

In Victoria, a tax is applied to homes in central and suburban Melbourne which are unoccupied for more than six months of the year.

There is an exemption for holiday homes occupied by the owner for at least four weeks a year.

Australian Parliament last year passed legislation which would tax foreign property owners for leaving their properties vacant for six months or more.

Association of Independent Retirees state president Shane Dennington said retirees regularly left Tasmania for six months, and up to a year, to travel.

As well, he said retirees who had shacks owned them before values skyrocketed for which they now had to deal with through increased land tax payments.

“This is dangerous territory,” he said.

“When you create legislation, you need to think of all the consequences.”