Black hole filler.
Three days ago, Joe Hockey made some rather nasty threats about further cuts.
“Labor should now support their own budget measure, and if they do not, they must immediately outline how they intend to fund their own budget black hole while they are opposing $40bn in budget savings,” Hockey said.
Well Joe….here are some I prepared earlier:
Cap and freeze defence spending at $20 billion a year. If a real threat emerges we can increase this. Saving $50 billion.
Cancel the order for the 58 extra jet fighters and get by with the 14 we have already ordered. Saving of $24 billion.
Cancel the changes to the Paid parental leave Scheme. Saving $22 billion.
Cancel Direct Action and keep the carbon pricing scheme. Saving of $10.6 billion.
Scrap the fuel tax credit to mining companies. Saving $11 billion.
Scrap the fuel excise indexation. Loss $3.4 billion. Net saving $7.6 billion.
Keep the mining tax. Saving $5.3 billion.
Find a better solution for asylum seekers that does not involve our Navy except to rescue people in distress, does not involve offshore processing, and most definitely does not involve disposable life-rafts costing millions. One that actually helps people. If you let them work while their application was being processed we might actually get some taxes from them rather than incarcerating them or giving them below poverty handouts. Saving…..hard to tell but it would be several billion.
Scrap the 1.5% decrease in company tax until the country can afford it. Also scrap the 1.5% levy for the PPL.
Keep the requirement for people claiming car business usage to maintain a log book for 3 months once every 5 years to justify their claim. Saving $1.8 billion.
Make the 2% increase in taxation on income over $180,000 permanent. How much this will make is dependent on if we tighten up on tax avoidance, otherwise the revenue will be nothing and for those as creative as Rupert and Google, we could end up owing them money.
Negative gearing should only apply to new building with certain greenfield developments slated as owner-occupied only.
Introduce a Financial Transactions Tax on various categories of financial transactions including: stocks, bonds and currency. If implemented on a global basis, its projected revenue could be as much as US$400 billion a year, depending on the size of the levy imposed, the size of the reduction in trading (if any), and the number of implementing countries/jurisdictions. In the US alone it has been estimated that annually, between US$177 and $353 billion could be raised. A flat rate of 0.05% has been proposed on all financial market transactions, many experts actually advise vary rates (of between 0.01 and 0.5%) depending on the transaction (stocks, bonds, currency, commodities, swaps, derivatives, etc). The UK stock exchange, one of the largest in the world, already has a 0.5% tax on share transactions.
Forget buying Tony a fleet of new planes to carry around business people and journalists. Saving over $600 million.
Keep the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Saving $400 million.
Tighten up the tax concession for superannuation. There are huge savings to be made there. At least reinstate the tax targeting earnings on superannuation pensions above $100,000. Saving $313 million.
Cut the exploration subsidies to mining companies. Saving $100 million.
MPs should fly by commercial flights rather than private jets. Flights to football games, the races, weddings, book signing tours, charity events, fun runs, should be paid for by the MP rather than being seen as an entitlement. Accommodation for these events will also not be provided as an entitlement. Don’t know how much it will save but Tony Abbott as Opposition Leader claimed over $1 million a year in entitlements. Use telephones and teleconferencing more.
Legalise voluntary euthanasia. This not only gives terminally ill people a choice which may give them peace of mind, it would also save an enormous amount of money which is spent in the last month or two of life.
So stop the threats Joe. There are far better ways than increasing inequity. Entrenched poverty is not a legacy many would aim to leave.
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Return to home pagei don’t think they will listen Kaye makes too much sence,they would rather blame labor and the minority parties,their negotiating skills are non existant, so they will have to find an alternative
B Shorten pls take note
Kaye, I normally agree with pretty much everything you write, but the WORST reason for euthanasia is money and it is the risk of financial pressure to end a life that is the source of the greatest suspicion of any euthanasia proposal.
But but ummm ahhh that will ummm aaahhh hurt our ummm ahh Parties slush fund, umm ahh umm I mean Party supporters, who have paid us, umm ahhumm I mean asked us to ummm support ahh big business, and umm mining.
The answer to Hockey’s question is quite simple: you are the government, not Labor, so it’s your job to sort it out.
David, I understand your concern and agree that ethical guidelines are a real consideration. It is an option that works well in the Netherlands. When talking about the sustainability of the medical system it is ridiculous to remove preventative health measures when secondary care is much more expensive. It was brought up as part of that debate but should never be the deciding issue, more a side benefit. Personally, I would like the option, and that has nothing to do with cost.
This kind of plain & simple “in your face” logic would be incomprehenceable to this IPA guided missile of a “treasurer & imported finance minister”. There’s nothing there that could be blamed on Labor, So, lets flog the slaves & demand they follow ours.
Wonder if we will ever see something like these suggestions on the ipa website?..Or in the un-australian, Or see murdoch talking about it?
David Giles, I agree. Australia already has enough problems with a 2-tier health system. To be able to pressure people into agreeing to end their lives earlier than necessary because it saves a few dollars is not what we want.
On negative gearing, this was originally implemented for new dwellings only and was a system which was supposed to stimulate the economy via the construction industry. The monster which it’s become is obvious and has been obvious for many years yet without either political party prepared to say ‘enough’.
My husband just handed me Thursday’s Telegraph where Andrew Bolt is asking “Why won’t Labor let this climate lie die?”
It’s all about how the planet hasn’t warmed lately (being the last 15 years). He goes on to quote eminent scientists saying “if one only looks at the last 15 years though, there is no trend.” He poo poos the idea of deep ocean warming.
Andrew informs us that “The world’s greenhouse gas emissions jumped in the first decade of this century…but the temperature did not.”
He concludes with
“This is the bottom line. The world isn’t warming as predicted and, even if it resumes, Labor’s emissions trading scheme would do nothing to stop it. Labor is lying. Shorten is ignoring the science. And you are being asked to pay for this fraud.”
I would suggest that the people who pay to read the Telegraph are the ones being asked to pay for fraudulent misinformation that ignores the science. Every Bolt article should come with a health warning – “reading this article is contra-indicated for anyone wishing to know the truth. Possible side effects, derision and in extreme cases mental instability.”
We need a simple clause inserted into the Broadcasting Services Act and the ABC’s Charter to provide a prohibition on false or misleading news:
Prohibited Programming Content
– “any false or misleading news”
The recent attempts by Harper to amend the Canadian broadcast regulations to invite lying back into their public media is outlined here:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-308.htm
Kaye Lee,
Sorry to say(phuq I hate that phrase), but your husband is a bit of a brute belting you with a bolt on a cold Saturday night.
cb, he gets evil pleasure from drawing my attention to such things but I note he quickly vacates the vicinity. Hit and run.
“Australians are routinely being told that hefty mining taxes would hinder the country’s largest exports of coal and iron ore. This concern about the competitiveness of the industry has been the basis of the Abbott government’s drive to abolish the mining tax. However, it is hard to reconcile this view (key player Gina Rinehart, for example, claimed that Australia was “too expensive to do export orientated business”) with news this week that mining giant BHP Billiton recently increased its profits by 83% to US$8.1bn.
Within the last year alone, there has been a 20% increase in BHP Billiton’s Western Australian iron ore exports. In spite of this enormous growth, the company only paid US$29m in minerals resource rent tax (MRRT). As it stands, the tax is in no way making BHP uncompetitive – its bumper profits are a testament to that.
While mining companies such as BHP Billiton are making a motza, we need to be reminded that 83% of Australian mining operations are foreign owned. The net income balance – the difference between the profits of Australian investing overseas, and profits made by foreign companies in Australia – has suffered as a result of mining companies extracting greater amounts of Australian mineral wealth for foreign owners.
From 2003 to 2011, the net income balance reduced from minus 2% to – 6% of Australian GDP. In other words, Australia is being held at gun point by day light robbers. ”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/19/mining-tax-its-time-for-all-australians-to-realise-they-are-being-ripped-off
JohnB,
Interesting to get the Canadian perspective.
“The aim is to provide a minimum level of protection to persons in situations where freedom of expression, a very powerful freedom when exercised using the public airwaves, comes at their expense.
prohibition would be narrowed to “news that the licensee knows is false or misleading and that endangers or is likely to endanger the lives, health or safety of the public.”
The voice of reason once again Kay. Why can the lnp not see how simple it is to regain respect of the public and endure a safe and secure future for our country. Oh I forgot they dont care about the big picture. Line their own pockets and let the country go to hell.
Kaye Lee
Bit of “the chicken or the egg” dilemma there. I suspect that, in most cases, mental instability is a prerequisite for reading Bolt’s rants.
If only? to intelligent solution for a retarded right wing group to grasp, such leaders if one can call people like Abbott, a leader to comprehend, his solution is to create and endorse a repressive government, these oppressive moves by Abbott, makes up his internal inability to have any humility, his impotence is compensated by purchasing jets and sucking up to America, as a inferior.
Kaye,
With the following your figures are way off the mark, arguably digging for China with how underestimated they are on your Financial Transactions tax. I’d put this down to you not looking at the Australian figures.
When the CEC publicly proposed this back in May [http://cecaust.com.au/releases/2014_05_07_Tax_Speculation.html] they referred to the most recent Australian Financial Markets Association report for 2012-2013 [http://www.afma.com.au/afmawr/_assets/main/lib90025/2013%20afma%20annual%20report%20-%20%20final.pdf] which actually states that the turnover for speculative financial transactions in that financial year was over $135trillion.
Ergo, at a 0.1% bottom end taxation rate, what you’re actually looking at is revenue of $135 Billion annually and an annual revenue of $675 Billion at the 0.5% higher end of the spectrum, just under double the estimates you listed.
Of course the fact is that the Coalition are right in the fact that we are on the verge of a financial crisis which will make the Great Depression look like a picnic in comparison. That’s why they’re trying to push through a Cyprus-style “bail-in” through the Murray Inquiry [http://cecaust.com.au/releases/2014_07_17_Murray_Inquiry.html] for when the banks crash here – a policy where all our bank accounts can legally be confiscated by the banks and those at the top who caused the crash get off scot-free.
Of course what the Coalition aren’t telling people is that what would solve this is a return to the Brenton Woods system and enacting the financial reforms which Chiffley tried to push through and which were such a threat that the British establishment used the Privy Council to shut them down, in order to protect their interests. I am of course talking about enacting Glass Steagall here – which would protect the commercial banking system, while leaving the gamblers in the investment banking system to clean up their own messes. It would also immediately address the housing affordability crisis in this country as the property bubble here is the only thing keeping our “Big 4” afloat
What they’re also not telling people, is that a return to what the Commonwealth Bank was initially set up by King O’Malley to be – namely a national credit bank established for the primary purpose of facilitating productive industries such as manufacturing, developing and maintaining infrastructure and creating a situation where we don’t need foreign investment to cover the basics.
But of course that wont happen. The Coalition drew up the plans for the mess we’re in now under Fraser and Howard and the ALP executed them under Hawke and Keating. The sad truth is that both sides of politics are so owned and bought for by the big banks these days, that the only way they know how to respond to them, is by bending over, dropping their dacks and spreading their cheeks.
Thanks for the article Kaye. More ammunition to deal with the lackabrain LNP supporters I soemtimes encounter. How about the result in Queensland! ! Best news all year.
“Labor has won the by-election in the Queensland seat of Stafford, in Brisbane’s north, with a huge swing of 18.6 per cent. Let’s hope this is just the start in a massive swing against the flat-earthers.”
Wooooohoooooo Thank you Queensland and thank you Campbell and Tony 🙂
I seriously despise this government. I have never felt this way before. Every announcement sinks to new lows.
“Minister, I seriously don’t get it. I understand that these are straitened economic times, that there is a need for the tightening of the belts, etc. I have long loved the line of Anthony Eden that “Everyone is always in favour of general economy and particular expenditure.” I get that you are in a difficult position, that not all requests for money can be satisfied. But, courtesy of the Australian Sports Commission, suddenly slashing to ZERO the money allocated to the Paralympic soccer team, the Pararoos? From a measly $175,000 allocation to begin with? At a time when the money allocated to able-bodied sport is actually increasing??
Your government can find $30 million to help Manly and the Broncos, both of which are self-sustaining businesses, but you cannot find $175K to help a bunch of crazy braves whose only business is to help themselves and inspire a younger generation? In just the past three years, governments have found $50 million for AFL and NRL respectively, while the NSW government coughed up $150 million for bloody Randwick racecourse , ALL of which are businesses unto themselves! But, $175K to proud Australian representatives playing soccer with disabilities, and the answer is, “No, get nicked.”? ”
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/no-minister-funding-cuts-are-unacceptable-20140718-zub9o.html#ixzz37uD9yoP1
“The Abbott government has created a hub of 37 communication and social media specialists to monitor social media and offer strategic communications advice costing taxpayers almost $4.3 million a year.”
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/tony-abbott-spends-43m-on-spin-doctors-20140705-zsxlh.html#ixzz37uv3PR1A
INSIDERS ABC 1. 9am
Fran Kelly with Phillip Coorey, Lenore Taylor and Gerard Henderson.
Tony Abbott will make an appearance.
Unlike dwejevans, I know I will never see these suggestions on the IPA wishlist. I fear, however, that I will never see them on an ALP list either.
That’s my list too Kaye.
Kaye, once again an excellent letter, may I humbly suggest that enforcement and strengthening of existing corporation taxation laws may also help to balance the budget with a reportedly $60 billion each and every year in corporate profits disappearing into overseas tax havens such as the Cayman Islands and many others. Those who are capable of paying extra taxation should be compelled to do so in what we are being told, are difficult times.
Joe hockey is behaving like every other bully – “don’t make me hurt [insert significant person/animal/item here] …”
Exactly Judith. It is that text book approach. I am doing this for your own good. You are responsible for this pain. And make sure you don’t tell anyone.
You know how the pink batts deaths were all Labor’s fault…
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said it is ‘‘not appropriate’’ for the government to discuss its litigation strategies. But The Sunday Age understands the Commonwealth is planning to argue liability for injuries in the overseas camps should rest with the governments of Nauru and Papua New Guinea and the private operator.
“The government is still trying to find a way to contract out its responsibilities by testing the circumstances under which it can limit or transfer its duty of care,’’ said Dr Andrew Morrison, SC, spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance.
Dr Morrison said the idea the government had delegated its responsibilities was also contradicted by the fact that the Commonwealth established the camps, maintains ‘‘the power of the purse’’ over them and keeps departmental staff onsite to oversee operations.
Representatives of ACS, Geo Group and G4S declined to comment on the Mossavian case because the matter is before the court.
But solicitors for the former contractors have filed defences that put the blame for any injuries on the ‘‘negligence’’ of the government.
‘‘If [Mossavian] suffers from psychiatric injury, loss and damage as alleged (which is denied) such psychiatric injury was caused or contributed to by the following features of [Mossavian’s] detention – its length, the uncertainty of its duration and the uncertainty of its outcome – which are all matters over which the [government] had control,’’ G4S has argued.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/government-in-fight-over-refugee-injury-claims-20140718-zu0se.html#ixzz37yH39l4V
“Negative gearing should only apply to new building with certain greenfield developments slated as owner-occupied only.”
This makes no sense at all.
Negative Gearing is where the cost of an investment is higher than the income from the investment, applied against (taxable) income from another source.
In what way can an ‘Owner Occupied” building be considered an investment? Unless you are suggesting (like the Palmer United Party policy) that the interest costs, associated with a loan against a family home, be a tax deduction? This however would not be a saving for Government, but a cost.
Negative Gearing should be limited to commercial investments. Residential property negative gearing should be phased out over 5 years (to slow the fall of house prices). The removal of negative gearing would help people to be able to afford to buy a home of their own, at no cost to the government.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-12/australia-has-third-highest-house-price-to-income-ratio/5517452
3 of the 4 highest ‘House Price to Income Ratio’ Countries have negative gearing. (Australia, New Zealand & Canada)
Another great article Kaye. I just can’t understand why the opposition doesn’t present any humane alternatives to our manageable deficit. I’m sure that the senate will block most of the budget, but with no humane alternatives put forward, the bully boys from both the LNP and the Murdoch press will just keep bashing Labour for “blocking the measures our responsible government have introduced to fix the mess you left us in”. I reckon it’s got to be time for Shorten to start showing his hand.
Catriona,
let me explain your misunderstanding. One of the reasons that housing prices have been driven up is because of investors. This not only stops people entering the market, it also drives up rental prices.
I understand what negative gearing is…thanks for your lesson though. The suggestion to keep some greenfield developments as owner-occupied is to keep the investors out…so they CAN’T buy them and use negative gearing….so first homebuyers can actually enter the market.
The reason I suggested negative gearing be limited to new buildings is to help stimulate the construction industry.
I hope that clears up what you didn’t understand.
Catriona T,
I’m not really interested in buying that PUP at the moment, it’s a naughty bow-wow.
It’s ripping up our mining tax to eat bits for itself, pooping nickel on the reef, and it just let go a rank carbon fart.
As a guard dog, it’s barking at shadows and will-o-wisps, but it just let in an ogre bellowing “fee, FIFO, fumzup”.
Bad puppy!
“Negative gearing should only apply to new building with certain greenfield developments slated as owner-occupied only.”
This makes no sense at all.
Kaye is simply saying that some new housing estates should not be open to rental properties. In other words, if you want to buy into the estate, you are going to have to live there.
Not all investment in residential properties is negatively geared. I have a residential property which is positively geared, albeit only by a small amount.
If you are going to do away with the ability of people to invest in residential properties (and claim the costs of doing so against their taxable income) then you will need a system to replace it.
There are many people who, for various reasons, do not want to, or cannot afford to, purchase a home. Your suggestion to reduce the price of housing, while admirable, has limits.
Governments no longer want to provide enough public housing to meet the needs of the population. The gap between what the government is willing to provide and what is needed by the population needs to be filled and at the moment it is, for better or worse, by private investors.
One can only hope that Clive will do the right thing and vote to keep the mining tax but his track record so far indicates self interest precedes all else.
“The FoFA changes mean that if anything we will end up paying more, not less, for financial advice.”
http://www.factsfightback.org.au/changes-to-fofa-check-the-facts/
“Clive Palmer’s nickel refinery pumped toxic waste into Great Barrier Reef park.
Company discharged nitrogen into world heritage area on several occasions despite being forbidden from doing so”
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/12/cliver-palmers-nickel-refinery-pumped-nitrogen-great-barrier-reef-park
“The amendments cover the electricity and gas industries only, rather than the broader economy. Palmer’s companies are primarily coal and nickel exporters; these amendments won’t cover those firms.
In other words, coal and nickel companies that don’t pass on savings to their customers cannot be penalised.
And what are some of the biggest input costs to coal mines and nickel refineries? Electricity and gas.
Not only do they gain from the abolition of the carbon tax, Palmer’s mining companies also have a lot to gain should wholesale electricity and gas prices fall. No wonder Palmer is so keen to lock in the amendments. He wins three ways – lower electricity prices, no carbon tax, and no penalty if he doesn’t pass on the carbon tax savings.
Going by Jacqui’s disposition, the mining tax is dead. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-17/jacqui-lambie/5604678
“We must do the right thing by the environment and other things”
A good week’s work indeed Jacqui. You have just got rid of the competitive advantage that Tasmania had due to it’s hydro-electricity, you have made Australia a world pariah due to having no policy on climate change (and kid that won’t cost us after the 2015 summit), you have got rid of consumer protection from unscrupulous financial shenanigans, and you want to top it off by taking away the mining tax so that the mining companies can send their profits off-shore. Yup, typhoon Jacqui has hit town. She admits to feeling brain dead and is glad that Dio is keeping up with where they are up to…not that Jacqui is anyone’s puppet ( uh huh….). Btw, has anyone heard from the PUP leader in the Senate, the brick with eyes?
Apparently, as Ms Lambie walked into traffic in a suicidal drunken haze, she had the divine epiphany that she would make an ace prime minister for Tassie.
I suspect Glenn (the resurrected one) is out to a long business lunch, they can be enormously productive.
Youse don’t understand. I’m doing what has to be done for the viroment and stuff. I’m creating jobs, which helps with trees and green things. The mining tax is bad. Clive said so and he’d know because he’s a minor. Let’s be clear, at the end of the day, this day, Sunday, and probably most of the other days, it’s all about jobs, and the viroment and Tassie. I’m a Taswegin so I know. I came to the Senate to vote on stuff, not think about things. That’s what I’m doing. Voting. That’s democracy in action. I learned that at the Senate induction.
Wow, trying to make Jacqui sound as dumb as she actually is appears to be beyond my creative capacity. Damn.
It’s interesting that the government boasts that it has created 110,000 jobs since coming to office while saying that the mining tax and carbon tax have cost jobs. They also boast of $400 billion in new investments during that same period while saying that the carbon and mining taxes stop investment.
It will be interesting to see what happens now that they have gotten rid of the taxes. Apparently we will see a significant fall in the cost of living and a significant boost to employment.
Since the Coalition took power we have seen the death of manufacturing in this country (maybe not their fault but they sure didn’t help) and a halt to investment in the blossoming renewable energy market. I will watch with interest how their investment strategy plays out in the medium term because every expert I read says it’s a short term grab for cash that will leave us with stranded assets.
Interesting and extensive article for those who are interested in this sort of thing:
Mining the age of entitlement -State government assistance to the minerals and fossil fuel sector
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Dan%20Rowden/My%20Documents/Downloads/Mining%20the%20age%20of%20entitlement.pdf
Kaye, I sincerely hope that you or one of your many followers can keep tabs on things such as these, it would certainly be an interesting comparison the 12 months leading up to the 17th of July and the 12 months post. Labor was removed from office with an unemployment rate of 5.2% with the price on carbon, interesting to note what that figure will be on 17th July 2015?
Jesus, did I really post a link to a file on my own computer? Doh. You can download the document here:
Mining the age of entitlement -State government assistance to the minerals and fossil fuel sector
http://www.tai.org.au/content/mining-age-entitlement
Thanks Dan, very informative.
“It is rare to get a decent insight into the back-room dealings between government and big business. This observation from former treasurer John Kerin confirms all suspicions: bank lobbyists are forever roaming about Canberra leaning on politicians and perverting democracy by exacting undue influence over government policy.
The Abbott government has put this influence in stark relief in recent times by winding back the Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) reforms. Dumping FOFA is hardly in anybody’s interest, except for the big banks that control 80 per cent of the financial advice market. They nagged for the repeal of FOFA and they got everything they nagged for.”
http://www.smh.com.au/business/dumping-of-future-of-financial-advice-reforms-shows-how-bank-lobbyists-pervert-democracy-20140720-zv140.html
The problem here of course is that the banks’ good fortune comes at a cost to ordinary everyday Aussies, who seem to be expendable as far as the tory, LNP, ultra-conservative government is concerned, that being the case there seems no logical reason for people to vote for them, so why do they?
That old chestnut about euthanasia: “what about the crazies?” is a total strawman David. If it were applied to all legislation, nothing would ever be done because we’d be too scared of those who might abuse the process.
“We can’t allow people to control a moving vehicle!! Just think how some might misuse the right and kill people!!”
See how silly it is?
Finally got to catch up on a blog of Kaye’s.
Thank you and yes. There is nothing there I can disagree with.
Thanks Ian (July 22 12;24pm) you answered David’s ridiculous argument for me.
There seems that whenever Voluntary Euthanasia ( ahem…that is VOLUNTARY) is raised someone has to jump on the ‘slippery slope’ argument. It was the same one when women fought for years for the right to abortion. The argument then was; Everyone will be wanting one. Silly hey?
In every country ( and now some States of the USA) where VE has been introduced the number of suspect ‘forced suicides’ has been found to be…well…not there! Funny that.
No one is forced to engage in VE. The number of checks and balances would be a safety valve and it being a private, personal, important decision between the sufferer and their doctor would have no impact on any religious, opposing or disagreeing party at all. However those who continue to block any chance of this choice ( to die with dignity…and I am death staring at YOU Kevin Andrews you jerk) are causing pain, anguish, horror, terror and encouragement to ‘do it yourself’ alone. I have a personal story about that and the scene that played out visits me in my times of quiet stress. It is HELL.
Please CC this list, Kaye to all members of Parliament asap, for me, for my children and my grandson. Thank you.
VE is simply a religious argument, those against VE believe only god (a delusion) has the right to end a life, these religious nutters are gaining ground, I noticed in the last Queensland by-election their (Family First) vote was up to 2.6% from 1.5% a few years ago. The salesmen, (pastors) have done a good job boosting the ranks from the vulnerable, its about time political parties displayed some ‘fair dinkum’ policies in the region of wealth distribution, as the LNP are for their members (the rich.)
An interesting statistic from the Netherlands is that many people who have gained approval for VE don’t then end up taking the option. They have it as a safety net for if things become unbearable but having that option there gives them the peace to die a natural death.
Another black hole filler suggested by Richard Dennis is to extend the GST to private health insurance and private school fees. This seems a sensible suggestion. It would derive revenue from those who can most afford it but is optional – a choice they can make. Should they choose PHI or private schools then they will be charged GST. As they already get a rebate for PHI it makes sense and private schools set their own fees so the market can determine what can be charged.
Agree @townsvilleblog
The argument about the doctors oath is another furphy. “To first do no harm” means by forcibly keeping ailing, dying people alive is doing immeasurable harm, in so many different ways. To relieve suffering is tantamount to modern medicine.
Only those who have not sat by their loved ones ( parents) bed when they have asked for VE and watch as they suffer could think that an imaginary friend has more rights than the person and those they love.
The religious can do whatever they want but ( as with men and abortion) why do they want to control what I want for me that is not harming anyone.
I like the idea of cutting all support for PHI and Private schools. Those who say the burden on public hospitals and schools are playing a game…those who can afford it should pay and will for they need the kudos…Class warfare anyone?
I was thinking that whilst I was growing up in the 1950’s/60s, married in the 1970’s I could never ever imagine that Australia and Australians would be using the term ‘Class’ EVER. My, how we have changed.
Money can’t buy you class abbie and that is what we are talking….the ever increasing income inequity which we probably wouldn’t be discussing as vehemently or as often if the budget wasn’t such a blatant attack on those who can least afford it. Fancy making these decisions with no thought of increasing revenue which ALL experts agree is the actual problem rather than the spending. They pushed too hard in squeezing the lemon.
Gina Rinehart is our wealthiest person – we need another term rather than “class”….bracket perhaps?
“Money can’t buy you class” no truer words spoken Kaye Lee…..
I was not using the term as in ‘well bred’ or meaning of ‘better worth’. I was using it as in ‘class warfare’ that LNP are spewing all over the place. Good grief. I am not that thick! I just remember how living in a ‘classless society’ was a pride that we all felt was worth having, looking sadly on Britain at that time.
Money can sure buy you choice, freedom and experiences, however and that can lead to higher education, choice of where to live, better and faster health decisions and ability to travel, all things we ( being on DSP/Carers) don’t have…( man had to wait 18 agonising months for his hip replacement)…But there is no better ‘class’ of person than the man I chose to live my life with (41 years) for all our poverty.
VE should be an option for all who want it, it should be a basic human right.
Another great suggestion from Richard Dennis, however this LNP government is a friend to those who are able to pay more, but don’t.
Abbie, I agree, my wife is 1st class, compassionate and caring with empathy for others, her intelligence carries our small family, and I appreciate everything she does for us, love is more than flowers and chocolate.