We need real tax reform and massive simplification.
That tax ought to be a stand alone and unavoidable expenditure tax.
The unavoidable nature will spread the tax burden far and wide, and impose a small painless burden on all who now avoid their fair share of a common burden and responsibility!
Just 4.8% will raise significantly more tax than the current raft of convoluted complexity.
This essential change and massive simplification, will allow the average business to pocket the averaged 7% they now shell out as compliance costs.
A higher job start can be traded off against the end of unfair dismissals, which is a huge disincentive to employing more people, particularly young folk.
Job start could be far more generous, but only for a limited time.
Say six to twelve months?
With more revenue flowing into treasury coffers, the Government will be free to subside apprenticeships; and cadetships, for young adults.
Perhaps by keeping them on job start until they become useful enough and experienced enough, to become valuable employees, minus the subsidy support?
The government can and should invest in much cheaper energy options, and total energy independence.
The worlds cheapest tax coupled to the world's cheapest carbon free energy, will have the energy dependant high tech industries queuing to relocate here, and providing very serious high paid quality jobs/occupations for our brightest technologically literate people in the process.
After that, we need to seriously invest in our own people and their better ideas, and let the relocating foreign corporations stand on their own feet.
The foreign corporations ought to be made welcome, given many will have very well developed global markets, for their product range?
The world's cheapest energy, and lowest real tax, will also be like a moth to the flame, for many millions of self funded fully insured retirees!
Who will not only bring their copious cash, but create many jobs in the service industry in the process.
The very jobs/cash supplements young folk need, as they work their way through University/TAFE.
Doing nothing is not an option, nor is the status quo!
Rhrosty.

Rhrosty...tell the truth; your Barry Jones!

The thrust of education in the non tertiary sector needs to change. At present the emphasis seems to be towards preparing all students for a university education. When you take into consideration that most jobs do not require university degrees it seems that secondary schools are still heading in the wrong direction.

David