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The Forum > Article Comments > Get our own house in order > Comments

Get our own house in order : Comments

By Julie Bishop, published 24/5/2012

Julia Gillard talks of Australia being on the brink of a boom, but that boom could be the sound of overseas financial disintegration.

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Julie, the situation you describe is what the 'limits to growth' look like. Whilst cutting government debt is important there are far wider implications than just this!

What is your plan to deal with these limits?
Posted by leckos, Thursday, 24 May 2012 7:57:11 AM
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< The Gillard government must get its own house in order - immediately. >

Well, of course they do, Julie.

And they’ve got to work vehemently on getting our national house I order, as does the Opposition.

But how?

Perhaps your next article on OLO in a few days time could outline exactly what the Coalition would do to achieve this. Or at least give us the fundamentals.

Currently we've got hardly a clue! It really doesn't seem as though they'd do much very differently at all!!

A fundamental part of getting the house in order is to aim directly at a sustainable future. That is: maximised effort to get us off of our addiction to oil, and a very big reduction in immigration so that the demand for everything stops rapidly increasing. This is surely an enormous factor in balancing the budget!

But I bet an Abbott / Bishop government would continue with record-high immigration and probably even boost it further.

Am I right Julie?
Posted by Ludwig, Thursday, 24 May 2012 8:38:33 AM
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Yes, Ludwig.

Watching the opposition for any sign of direction or policy initiative is like an episode of Pick-a-Box. We see all the faces lined up, but we have no idea what's behind the facade.

Care to enlighten us, Julie?
Posted by Poirot, Thursday, 24 May 2012 9:16:53 AM
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Yes, i agree with other posts in general terms.

The writing on the wall for the West's difficulties,including Australia, have been evident for a few years now.

While Labor shows little sign of coming to grasp with the realities, so the Coalition is going to have alter their policy mix if Australia is to retain the positive developments of recent decades while gettign rid of the excesses.

While I have some faith that Abbott is a pragmatist, much like Howard, the challenges ahead for Australia are immense.

Just going over newspapers n the mining tax only reinforces my view that a lucky country mentality perists with an almost laughable reliance on China and mining to save the day.

The golden days were over in the 1970s, the last few decades merely postponed the inevitable through our reiance on debt, and now we have to be that much smarter with the tough decisions to be made
Posted by Chris Lewis, Thursday, 24 May 2012 9:24:55 AM
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As the capitalist world implodes, it's interesting to see politicians chipping in with their thoughts which, of course, must reflect the party line and must put the boot in where possible.

The Coalition, led by Dr No, has about as much idea of what to do in this fraught world as the Gillard Government does.

Ironically, both major parties are also imploding now that the black and white, boss-worker paradigm has largely disintegrated.

Australia has no leaders, either current or prospective!

Lucky country? Was once.
Posted by David G, Thursday, 24 May 2012 10:17:00 AM
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Julie, what about enlightening us on what an Abbott/Bishop coalition would do as policy settings? No? Well here are a couple of suggestions. Jettison the current tax act in favour of a single stand alone expenditure tax. This will end the need for compliance and any and all associated costs, adding around 7% to the averaged Australian based bottom line. The accompanying repeal of all the other taxes, would add around an additional 30% to Australian based bottom lines and 25%, averaged, to household disposals.
Even if set at a virtually painless 4.8%, an expenditure tax would raise around 25% more revenue, than the current convoluted complexity euphemistically referred to, as an equitable tax act.
The 25% increase cures the current structural deficit. The additional revenue comes from former avoiders, no longer able to escape paying a fair share.
The proposal would also save the govt billions.
Money better directed at getting our education and R+D up to international standards.
Even if there is a very deep downturn in the global economy, it will still require energy.
The lights will still turn on, the trains and trams will still run, and the telephones will still work.
Japan is converting its nuclear power provision to gas fired alternatives. India is a huge burgeoning market with a lager middle class than the the USA. We are well positioned to take full advantage of all that.
Our economy is outperforming all others. So why would anyone in their right mind change the management team that gave us that result?
Those that bitch and carp and allow their simple-minded judgement to be changed because they don't like a particular leaders nasal tones, or the absolute need for compromise to make a hung parliament function, need to wake up to themselves.
Yes, we do face a very uncertain future and the only way to confront it is as a truly united people cooperating in bipartisan consensus.
We do not want to follow Spain, Ireland or Italy or the almost mindless counter-productive austerity measures that have simply made a very precarious position, very much worse. Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Thursday, 24 May 2012 10:22:31 AM
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