How many times have we raised the destiny of demography, only to see the Govt, all govts blithely ignoring the problem?
It seems they think it's someone else's problem; something for the too hard basket; something that can be kicked down the road for someone else to fix?
And no, we can't talk about reform, if it includes the now sacred cow, the GST! Never stand between a state premier and a bucket of money!
We have the impossible juxtaposition, of a growing economy coupled to a shrinking tax/revenue base!
It's like putting smaller and smaller engines on bigger and bigger trains! [And a big uphill coming!]
When we will adopt the inevitable stand alone unavoidable expenditure tax, and claim our inland revenue from a growing base, rather than a shrinking demographic of tax payers?
When those earning $62,000 and above, are forced into the top tax rate of 45 cents in the dollar?
Or when petrol hits $6.00 a litre?
What is the real problem?
An ATO that sees in the very reform we must now have, their own demise and that of virtually every tax practise in the country?
The ATO employs 20,000 public servants, and one suspects private tax practise nearly that again?
Each tapping the taxpayer over 5 billion per for the "privilege"?
It will take a leader of extraordinary courage and conviction to bring in the very reforms we must now have.
Reforms that collect all the tax directly from the GNP, rather than a diminishing demographic of dwindling taxpayers.
Increasing the revenue, would then be as simple as growing the economy. All extremely possible if we adopt two prime strategies.
The already out laid lowest real tax and the cheapest energy.
It's too easy!
Plus, remove the states from any real economic decision making, given to date, they've functioned more like self serving economic road blocks, all trying to squeeze some advantage from the other states!
Almost as if they were separate competing countries, rather than fellow Australians all needing to cooperate and harmonise, for the best possible common outcome.
Rhrosty.

Rhosty, too right about the states. An anachronistic drain on the nations coffers. What exactly is South Australia or Queensland? They are lines on a map.

I'd never heard of Experience+ and didn't even know there was funding available until last month. When I called DEEWR about a program, they said it had been 'retired'. I asked about Work Ready and they said it might be ready before the September election.

I don't plan to leave any debts behind for my kids and I reckon I'll have enough super to look after myself but I'm in the minority. I can see my kids working on and on to support the vast majority of Boomers. Where's the fair go in that?

Unfortunately our contemporary political and media culture precludes goverments making long term decisions to avoid the calamitous situation in many European countries with declining and ageing populations, compounded by rising health and social security commitments, with shrinking working age population.

Lacking political leadership (+ clear thinking) on both sides, most within the political media complex accept at face value claims that population growth is bad (even if over half are fee paying students, second year backpackers and 457 temp workers are included, i.e. not permanents), and accordingly "immigration" must be limited or restricted.

Although immigration made Australia, our ageing white politicians and media have been got at by advocates for restricting immigration and (foreign?) population growth. This is not difficult, stoking xenophobia in Australia through misinforming, distorting, inflating and confusing statistics to both create negative connotations for immigration, and creating alarmist headlines.