I find it difficult to believe that anyone can list options for social and economic reform in Australia in 2012 without including the long awaited and much discussed National Disability Insurance Scheme.

I do mention the NDIS in so far as I agrgue a similar scheme needs be implemented with Aged Care. But the point was that Labor is already committed to the NDIS - which is good. It's a good policy. The point of this article was to suggest new initiatives Labor should pursue.

*Potential fund-raising mechanisms could include a move to either 75% or 50% Dividend Imputation *

Ah Tristian, you clearly don't understand the law of unintended
consequences. For your suggestion means that people who invest
in companies, should be taxed twice. Meantime those who pour money
into their own homes, earn any profits tax free.

That will give everyday Australians every incentive to invest even
more in their own homes, driving house prices even higher and make
them even less affordable, rather than invest in Australian companies
which create jobs. We'll just leave that to the foreigners, who
can transfer price their profits off shore and pay little tax
in Australia.

You really have not thought this through very well.

Yabby, Australia's one of the few countries in the world that have Dividend Imputation. If the Americans have managed without such a scheme for decades why can't we do the same? (and that's with a higher Company Tax rate in the US as well - as high as 35%) Over $20 billion is at stake and that could go a long way!

Tristan, Australia is also one of the few countries where people
don't pay tax on the profits of selling their houses. No wonder
we have a housing bubble and people won't invest in bank deposits,
where inflation and tax eat it all away.

One of the reasons why American companies have trillions of dollars
offshore and refuse to return it to America, so America earns zilch
on that money and have a deficit blowout which is huge.

Perhaps you had better examine how a company like Google can earn
close to a billion $ in Australia, but generate invoices in Ireland
and pay nearly no tax here. We need more Australian investors
in Australian companies, not less.

I note that the author is unable to cost the broad bulk of his proposed initiatives? Although the US economy appears to be growing again, due no doubt to the fact they have halved their reliance on foreign oil, and continue with Federal fiscal stimulation; Europe seems headed towards another Great Depression; by as soon as 2016?
This is certain to impact of Chinese economic growth and subsequently on ours? We already have to deal with revenue reduction as billions in extraordinary profits are ploughed back into new commodity developments; thereby avoiding a huge slice of expected forward estimates?
If one includes negative gearing, welfare for the rich equals the real welfare for the needy budget. Means testing on education and health subsidies etc, would free up billions; as would rolling back some of the tax breaks for high income earners/superannuation etc?
Given it is so easy for foreign nationals to avoid tax, up to 40% of multi nationals reportedly pay no company tax to anyone? A very different system is required in order to ensure they pay a minimum for the infrastructure they use or gain a financial benefit from? Ports, road and rail, airports, health and education outlays etc/etc.
While one finds the author's evocations laudable; they if espoused as Labour policy, would likely fall into the category of non core promises or entirely unaffordable, without quite massive tax reform and simplification.
Labour could do a lot worse than completely jettison the current convoluted mind-numbing complexity, euphemistically labelled as a fair and equitable tax system; in favour of a single stand alone unavoidable expenditure tax that has no exclusions.
Look at my comments in previous economic articles to see how this would work, raise significantly more revenue in win/win outcomes for everyone except tax avoiders and the avoidance industry; and indeed, make most of what is proposed, both very possible and completely affordable, regardless of Global circumstances? Rhrosty.