Inequality is out of control in Australia

[Big Papa Ted]

Hit refresh and press stop.

I'm going to post two quotes from that article that I think will really hit home:

"Corporate income tax, the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT), state royalties and excise are expected to rise to a total of around $13.8 billion this financial year"

"This week we saw confirmation of Australia’s LNG success again, with Canberra upgrading export earnings forecasts to $90 billion this financial year, up from the record $70 billion previously."

I'll let people draw their own conclusions from that regarding tax......

Also yes i know im simplifying the issue, but anyone thats capable of reading an annual statement knows the big mining/gas companies don't pay the rates that Power Raid is saying in tax.

 

[kranky al]

Months ago Stiglitz proposed wealth taxes in lieu of central bank interest rate rises as a measure to control inflation and to start budget repair.

In light of this news I'd say that once again, he has a point.

I saw a great suggestion that instead of increasing interest rates we increase both employer and employee contributions to super temporarily and unrelated to any other measures.

Cools the economy and puts financial pain on people but they benefit long term.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Really great article

‘When you change the government you change the country’. Today, it’s the other way round

For all its political capital, Labor risks remaining a step behind the curve. If it is unable to reverse policies that increase inequality, why is it in power?

www.smh.com.au

 

[peetoo]

Really great article

‘When you change the government you change the country’. Today, it’s the other way round

For all its political capital, Labor risks remaining a step behind the curve. If it is unable to reverse policies that increase inequality, why is it in power?

www.smh.com.au

Why wouldn’t you just observe where the longest serving govts eg victoria as a probable direction for the country?

 

[Kram]

Really great article

‘When you change the government you change the country’. Today, it’s the other way round

For all its political capital, Labor risks remaining a step behind the curve. If it is unable to reverse policies that increase inequality, why is it in power?

www.smh.com.au

Labor = Liberal Lite

 

[peetoo]

Labor = Liberal Lite

Liberal = not labor

 

[Kwality]

Can't wait for the stage 3 tax cuts so the well-off can have even more money!

They can use the money to take advantage of taxpayer subsidised EV ownership.

edit: fyi - Canberra fast becoming Australia's little Norway as EV share hits 19 pct

'Anyone paying attention to the take-up of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia will be well aware that the Australian Capital Territory is the jurisdiction with the fastest growing fleet of electric vehicles.'

 

[peetoo]

Private EV ownership is so meh when we have corporate and public fleets of vehicles still stinking up the place at least eight hours per day

 

[royale with cheese]

They can use the money to take advantage of taxpayer subsidised EV ownership.

edit: fyi - Canberra fast becoming Australia's little Norway as EV share hits 19 pct

'Anyone paying attention to the take-up of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia will be well aware that the Australian Capital Territory is the jurisdiction with the fastest growing fleet of electric vehicles.'

Been a very good time to work for the Australian public service post-covid.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Disgraceful of the government to not do more to alleviate hardship. Tell them what you think. If enough of us do, they’ll leap into action.

Labor has poured cold water on an increase to jobseeker – leaving progressive voters scratching their heads | Paul Karp

Labor may be correct that it can’t solve poverty in one budget, but it has no excuse not to begin the process

www.theguardian.com

 

[Crankyhawk]

I saw a great suggestion that instead of increasing interest rates we increase both employer and employee contributions to super temporarily and unrelated to any other measures.

Cools the economy and puts financial pain on people but they benefit long term.

Would not like - am already at max contribution before excess charges kick in

 

[kranky al]

Would not like - am already at max contribution before excess charges kick in

Obvs they would have to exempt extra amounts they force on you.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Obvs they would have to exempt extra amounts they force on you.

they don't currently - they force the fixed percentage currently which puts me into the excess zone, and while I have finally (after 3-4 years) managed to get payroll to cap the employer contribution, I don't think the extra money is going into my take home (yes, acknowledging that I would pay income tax on it)

 

[Crankyhawk]

So text of a letter I am sending my (labor) MP - removed references to specific seat

I am a constituent in the seat of xxx and I am concerned that the upcoming federal budget is not going to adequately respond to the challenges of increasing inequity in Australia. I am currently working in a frontline position in the Victorian public hospital system, and I am seeing increasing patients who cannot afford to see a GP, or to pay for medication, or to find housing, so they turn up at the ED to find solutions which do not exist – certainly not in the ED I work in anyway.



Then I hear that the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee recommends that Jobseeker be raised to 90% of the aged pension. This is a broad based committee representing multiple economic interests. If they can all agree surely this is something worth doing.



Yes I appreciate that there is no money in the budget – and yes a lot was caused by waste and mismanagement by your predecessors – but there is an easy target to retain money in the budget.



That target is the stage 3 tax cuts. These are an absolute perversion, where the highest income earners (myself included) get a massive reward – money which to be frank will not be missed if it is denied because we never really had it in our pockets. Contrast this to the pain and blame being felt by the removal of the low and middle income tax offset – these people are feeling it (the removal of the offset) as a new tax.



I would prefer to set fire to the stage 3 tax cuts altogether, and if media companies are insensitive (was going to call it brazenly partisan) enough to scream broken promise, the facts are

• The economic landscape has changed
• We need the money to address inequality
• Or my old standard – tell them to take a long walk off a short pier and see how the real world works

But if one MUST have a stage 3 tax cut, let us redo it as follows

• Reduce the tax bracket for 45000 – 120000 to 30 c in the dollar from 32.5 c.
• And leave the rest (the 37c bracket from 120-180000) alone.

This would deliver the same benefit for those earning up to 120000 as the existing stage 3 (ie the bulk of the population who would benefit) but capping the cut to (2.5% of 75000) = $1875 per annum instead of just under $8000 at 180000 under the current legislated cuts.



It is both sensible policy and sensible politics. When the liberals scream class war they can be dismissed, ignored, invalidated or even simply told “yeah theres been a class war and your mob have been engaging in it for years, so take a hike, call the RACV (tell someone who cares”



I hope this proposal gets due consideration. The risk if something is not done on stage 3 is the perception that the ALP are unwilling to take necessary steps for those on lower incomes in our society



Feel free to copy and use.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Private EV ownership is so meh when we have corporate and public fleets of vehicles still stinking up the place at least eight hours per day

Eventually it will tip. The lack of good affordable electric cars en masse is the issue. Currently were seeing electric cars start to be ordered as fleet vehicles and once they hit the second hand market you will see a huge rise in EV cars on the road. Price still keeps everyday Aussies from the change. 60k for a new Tesla is still out of reach for more then half of Australians

 

[kranky al]

So text of a letter I am sending my (labor) MP - removed references to specific seat

I am a constituent in the seat of xxx and I am concerned that the upcoming federal budget is not going to adequately respond to the challenges of increasing inequity in Australia. I am currently working in a frontline position in the Victorian public hospital system, and I am seeing increasing patients who cannot afford to see a GP, or to pay for medication, or to find housing, so they turn up at the ED to find solutions which do not exist – certainly not in the ED I work in anyway.



Then I hear that the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee recommends that Jobseeker be raised to 90% of the aged pension. This is a broad based committee representing multiple economic interests. If they can all agree surely this is something worth doing.



Yes I appreciate that there is no money in the budget – and yes a lot was caused by waste and mismanagement by your predecessors – but there is an easy target to retain money in the budget.



That target is the stage 3 tax cuts. These are an absolute perversion, where the highest income earners (myself included) get a massive reward – money which to be frank will not be missed if it is denied because we never really had it in our pockets. Contrast this to the pain and blame being felt by the removal of the low and middle income tax offset – these people are feeling it (the removal of the offset) as a new tax.



I would prefer to set fire to the stage 3 tax cuts altogether, and if media companies are insensitive (was going to call it brazenly partisan) enough to scream broken promise, the facts are

• The economic landscape has changed
• We need the money to address inequality
• Or my old standard – tell them to take a long walk off a short pier and see how the real world works

But if one MUST have a stage 3 tax cut, let us redo it as follows

• Reduce the tax bracket for 45000 – 120000 to 30 c in the dollar from 32.5 c.
• And leave the rest (the 37c bracket from 120-180000) alone.

This would deliver the same benefit for those earning up to 120000 as the existing stage 3 (ie the bulk of the population who would benefit) but capping the cut to (2.5% of 75000) = $1875 per annum instead of just under $8000 at 180000 under the current legislated cuts.



It is both sensible policy and sensible politics. When the liberals scream class war they can be dismissed, ignored, invalidated or even simply told “yeah theres been a class war and your mob have been engaging in it for years, so take a hike, call the RACV (tell someone who cares”



I hope this proposal gets due consideration. The risk if something is not done on stage 3 is the perception that the ALP are unwilling to take necessary steps for those on lower incomes in our society



Feel free to copy and use.

Make it a petition

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

So text of a letter I am sending my (labor) MP - removed references to specific seat

I am a constituent in the seat of xxx and I am concerned that the upcoming federal budget is not going to adequately respond to the challenges of increasing inequity in Australia. I am currently working in a frontline position in the Victorian public hospital system, and I am seeing increasing patients who cannot afford to see a GP, or to pay for medication, or to find housing, so they turn up at the ED to find solutions which do not exist – certainly not in the ED I work in anyway.



Then I hear that the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee recommends that Jobseeker be raised to 90% of the aged pension. This is a broad based committee representing multiple economic interests. If they can all agree surely this is something worth doing.



Yes I appreciate that there is no money in the budget – and yes a lot was caused by waste and mismanagement by your predecessors – but there is an easy target to retain money in the budget.



That target is the stage 3 tax cuts. These are an absolute perversion, where the highest income earners (myself included) get a massive reward – money which to be frank will not be missed if it is denied because we never really had it in our pockets. Contrast this to the pain and blame being felt by the removal of the low and middle income tax offset – these people are feeling it (the removal of the offset) as a new tax.



I would prefer to set fire to the stage 3 tax cuts altogether, and if media companies are insensitive (was going to call it brazenly partisan) enough to scream broken promise, the facts are

• The economic landscape has changed
• We need the money to address inequality
• Or my old standard – tell them to take a long walk off a short pier and see how the real world works

But if one MUST have a stage 3 tax cut, let us redo it as follows

• Reduce the tax bracket for 45000 – 120000 to 30 c in the dollar from 32.5 c.
• And leave the rest (the 37c bracket from 120-180000) alone.

This would deliver the same benefit for those earning up to 120000 as the existing stage 3 (ie the bulk of the population who would benefit) but capping the cut to (2.5% of 75000) = $1875 per annum instead of just under $8000 at 180000 under the current legislated cuts.



It is both sensible policy and sensible politics. When the liberals scream class war they can be dismissed, ignored, invalidated or even simply told “yeah theres been a class war and your mob have been engaging in it for years, so take a hike, call the RACV (tell someone who cares”



I hope this proposal gets due consideration. The risk if something is not done on stage 3 is the perception that the ALP are unwilling to take necessary steps for those on lower incomes in our society



Feel free to copy and use.

Excellent. Thanks mate.

 

[peetoo]

Eventually it will tip. The lack of good affordable electric cars en masse is the issue. Currently were seeing electric cars start to be ordered as fleet vehicles and once they hit the second hand market you will see a huge rise in EV cars on the road. Price still keeps everyday Aussies from the change. 60k for a new Tesla is still out of reach for more then half of Australians

They took fbt off novated leases so it’s a bit more competitive now.

But a 5-10 year old car just doing 8k a year is better for the environment than a new EV doing the same.

It’s high use cases. Vans taxis trucks and buses in residential areas where the big differences come

Greenwashing councils which still employ clapped out trucks for refuse, street sweeping etc can just get stuffed with their bull shit propaganda

 

[Not Important]

Would not like - am already at max contribution before excess charges kick in

but think of how much better off you'll be in your twilight years.

 

[Crankyhawk]

but think of how much better off you'll be in your twilight years.

Zero better off as I think every dollar above cap gets extra tax + co contribution charge (I think a total of 93c in dollar?)

 

[HurleyHepsHird]

Not sure where to put this so I started a new thread - this is grim

No change to stage 3 tax cuts.

"Hard" decisions on social services.

This isn't just cruelty or corruption, it's going to lead Australia down the same path of social and economic ruin as the US and UK. For what? So the IMF/ordo neoliberal set of vampires, that have been proved demonstrably wrong since the 90s, can give ol Albo a pat on the back. Look how it ended for Jacinda Adern, and she was infinitely more loved when in office and not half as self destructive. Sure she did bugger all, but at least didn't run with destructive Lib style policies, counter to voters and the national interest.

 

[HurleyHepsHird]

I'm going to post two quotes from that article that I think will really hit home:

"Corporate income tax, the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT), state royalties and excise are expected to rise to a total of around $13.8 billion this financial year"

"This week we saw confirmation of Australia’s LNG success again, with Canberra upgrading export earnings forecasts to $90 billion this financial year, up from the record $70 billion previously."

I'll let people draw their own conclusions from that regarding tax......

Also yes i know im simplifying the issue, but anyone thats capable of reading an annual statement knows the big mining/gas companies don't pay the rates that Power Raid is saying in tax.

Hey the Saudis can build ridiculous Blade Runner/Elysium style developments in the desert, but we can't afford to properly fund schools or welfare.

It's deranged. The PRRT is literally a liscense for foreign conglomerates to take Australian resources and in some cases get paid for the pleasure. As the country tends to foot the bill for environmental remediation.

What is crazy, is that Labor under Gillard made the regime more permissive, not less. Short of the US and Turkey stealing oil from Northern Syria, we have one of the least nationally beneficial tax and royalties regimes for natural resources in the world.

 

[The Punter]

NZ remains a small government utopia regardless of government persuasion and their Air Force and Navy is based on mainland Australia (it's our defence force in short). Sometimes it's easier being small.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

NZ remains a small government utopia regardless of government persuasion and their Air Force and Navy is based on mainland Australia (it's our defence force in short). Sometimes it's easier being small.

Being small and being able to freeload off your generous larger neighbour

 

[Rob R]

Being small and being able to freeload off your generous larger neighbour

Whilst hypocritically sniping at them about refugees and foreign aid despite AUS being far more generous on both counts.

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