Day to Day Politics: When is a tax not a tax?
Saturday 16 April 2016
It seems I was somewhat premature with my ‘’Turnbull’s 17 backflips’’ post yesterday. Two more popped up after I pressed the post button. It seems an increase on the tax on cigarettes is now on the cards.
It’s a Labor policy that only two weeks ago former Prime Minister Tony Abbott criticised as a tax on “smokos” and workers, when it was first proposed by Labor in 2015. Even the right-wing free market Institute of Public Affairs has told the government what it thinks of the Government’s decision.
Labor says it will use the $48billion raised from the tax to fulfil its Gonski reforms. The Government hasn’t obligated itself but a tax cut for big business is certainly on the cards.
Abbott added:
‘I just want to give you this assurance: no member of the Coalition comes into Parliament to raise taxes. Coalition members come into public life because we want to see taxes go down’.
Given that a third of business pays no tax one might say they are achieving their aim. As difficult as it is to find out who they get their donations from (harder than the Coalition) it is known that the IPA accepts donations from tobacco companies. And we also know that former IPA employees Tim Wilson and James Paterson have been preselected for safe Liberal seats.
An observation.
‘Invariably when I read about how successful people are. The measure is always the value of their assets. Why is this so?’
The second one is yet another ‘follow the leader’ decision to close superannuation tax concessions for the wealthy. The feral right of the party will hate this decision, as will those who are getting a tax discount available only to privileged high income earners. A deplorable immoral tax concession that was within a couple of years going to cost the budget as much as the aged pension.
Probably the highest compliment an opposition can ever receive is the acknowledgment that the Government is adopting your policies. It wouldn’t surprise it next they announce an inquiry of sorts into the banks.
Neither of these two measures will raise enough revenue to balance the budget within five years. So given the Treasurer’s repeated and repeated assertions that our problem is one entirely of overspending he must be planning one of two things. He is going to hit us with the biggest economic sledge-hammer of all time, or he will walk into a Hillsong Sunday service and ask for a miracle.
My thought for the day. When thinking about innovation, think about this:
‘There is no such thing as an original idea because there is always a preceding pathway of thought’.
PS I think there was another one but it was going past so quick I missed it.
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Jennifer Meyer-Smith
Return to home pageMiracle indeed. Revenue increases to be offset by tax cuts and the money left over pay down the debt.
1-1=0 0= http://www.australiandebtclock.com.au/
So just what is wrong with paying Tax? We have followed this American bullshit Philosophy hook line and sinker. And it’s origins are all tied up with religion with powerful staying on top. Tax the wealthy/Multi Nationals as they can afford it.Don’t buy this shit Australia.Or do we want to become Americans. I know all the Neanderthals will have their guns back soon but are we that stupid.
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/17/ato-report-shows-nearly-600-big-companies-paid-no-tax-in-2013-14?CMP=share_btn_fb#_=_ imagine if every Australian taxpayer was forced to pay their fair share of tax, how prosperous this country would be, we could update all of our aging infrastructure and provide all the services that we should be entitled to, that is a pipe dream under the LNP, we must oust them on the 2nd of July.
Jack, I have been a responsible rifle owner in the past, but that aside, as you can tell from the above link, I’m as shitty as hell about these tax bludgers who get away with tens of billions of dollars each and every year, and some have not paid a cent going back to 2013 when their mates got into government. We need to elect a Labor government even if it is just to make these corporate bastards pay a fair share, instead of nothing.
If my memory serves me correctly the then Lord Chief Justice of Australia went on record late last century, stating something like this ….. ..” Every Australian is entitled to pay as little tax as is possible ” ! ….. ( the then Sir Garfield Barwick ) …..I recall thinking at the time …. “Well I suppose that’s one way of keeping the Gov. of the day on it’s toes … and not sloppily wasting tax payers hard earned ” …..
Whilst I learned as a child about the ‘ ruling (money) class ‘ which existed ‘ over there ‘ in England and Europe, the wider implication about this fostering greed and corruption lower down the scale & in Australia, escaped me, at the time !
My Mother would say we were lucky to live in Australia – well away from all that ! ….. how times have changed !
Of course the LNP wants taxes to go down, just not for the ordinary peon in the street.
Maybe malcolm turdbullshitartist, erica i’llbetz, scooty moronscum, georgie christandson and the ever lovable cory burningarsehole should just wander into their respective places of everlasting forgivmefatherforihavefluckeditupagain and ask for the collection platter to be passed around twice, and then collar the takings.
If they did that for every morning and evening Sunday service, I reckon we normal Australians could all live the high life too.
Way to go God
I might convert after all.
the pathway begins with a thought and the rabbott got in because not enough people thought but there is a good chance that a lot more may be thinking now?
Notice no lib women in the 6 senate possies in tassie, are they leaving the field open for jacqui?
ps
got smacked in the paper, today, for suggest the non taxpaying rich should be madicared 2.5% on gross not net income. the scribling assailant was an accountant. Could be he has a vested interest????
What planet are the present government living on?
How stupid are conservative voters?
Reduce company tax to 28% from 30% when most companies pay little or no tax, what a brilliant brain fart.
I’m beginning to wonder if the elections in this country are rigged…Or are conservative voters mentally retarded?
One only has to read the comments on conservative blogs to realise these morons are incapable of thinking for themselves, everything right wing is right, anything not right wing is wrong. Idiots.
Now that Labor is starting to make whispers about the “very low” Newstart, which might suggest there’s some hope for vulnerable Newstart recipients that Newstart will be increased away from its current humiliating starvation level, I hope the LNP Degenerates adopt an interest in competing with Labor on this policy improvement prospect.
This is especially so when both sides can argue the benefits of the increase in Newstart is Good for the Economy, as the money is likely to be spent back into the economy, which is good for small business.
Nothing like competition to bring stronger results for the consumer, who also happens to be the voter and quite possibly a Newstart recipient.