"Those who have money and resources and opportunity are doing better and better, but those who struggle to make ends meet and whose lives are circumscribed by disadvantage, are doing worse and worse."

This is simply a lie. Statistics show that the poor in Australia are better off each year. Increasing inequality -- if it IS increasing, which is doubtful -- has nothing to do with absolute wealth. If everyone's real wealth doubled tomorrow, so would inequality -- would that be a reason to object to it?

My view is that some inequality is a necessary driver for economic growth to occur at all. Just how much, of course, is a reasonable matter for debate; but the knee-jerk leftist reaction that says 'Inequality BAD!' is responsible for some of the most daft and destructive political decisions ever made.

Strongly disagree. Since 1980 we have sold off 4 State Govt banks and the Commonwealth, that used to create from nothing some of the money to = growth + inflation. Our money supply grows at 6% pa or $90 billion. This is now created as debt by private banks and most of this money goes to private central banks. When the Commonwealth was sold off Howard had to bring in the GST.

Our ATO is really just a debt collector for private central banks. Increasing taxes feeds the parasites.

< Ensuring all Australians have the means and opportunity for a decent life requires a healthy economy delivering sustainable growth, government policies that put people at the centre, and effective and well-targeted revenue collection. Tax is the price we pay for a decent society. >

There are a couple of problems with this….

What would happen if there was an attempt to significant increase the tax base? It would politically untenable!

And secondly; what about the ever-rapidly-increasing demand for everything in Australia as a result of very high immigration. If we didn’t have this, we’d have a progressively much greater ability to spend more on the things that you would like us to improve, rather than on the constant duplication services and infrastructure for ever-more people and the upgrading of existing services and infrastructure that are being overburdened by ever-more people.

This factor is surely considerably bigger than the main thrust in this article of raising taxes.

< The sustainability and viability of community and social services is critical… >

Of course. So Lin, how about lobbying hard for a reduction in immigration down to net zero, and a stabilisation of our population, so that we can have a stable demand base instead one that is forever rapidly growing and demanding that a huge part of the national budget be spent on just to provide the basics for new residents.

Then, we might have a chance of developing sustainable and viable communities…. and to be able to do it without struggling to ever-rapidly grow the economy or significantly increase the tax base.

Boy there is a cognitive dissonance in regards to money concepts.We don't have to have all these taxes.

Just create Govt banks once again. By virtue of letting OS central banks create money to = growth + inflation, we are their debt slaves. Under this system the more growth we have, the more debt we incur. The debt can never be repaid unless we sell of our resources and energy for a song. We don't own Australia. The Corporate conglomerates do and poverty will continue to worsen no matter how much taxes will increase.

Say our big 4 banks borrow half of the $90 billion and create another $45 billion via fractional reserve banking. Our banks are 40% owned by HSBC,JP Morgan and Citi Bank. These profits just go back OS.

1% of the World's pop own 46% of the wealth and earn 40% of the income. The expression of our inflation + growth as debt,is the tool by which they steal this wealth.The other tool of theft is called the derivative market.

Raising taxes ? This seems to be the cure all for all problems. Perhaps, Lin, you could write an article to detail the actual amount of tax that is levied on the australian public at large?

1. Federal Govt. income tax.
2. Medicare levies.
3. Bank transaction taxes.
4. GST

5. State Govt. Taxes on gambling, resources, labour etc.etc, etc
6. tax on the water and electricity utilities which we pay.
7. State levies.
8. land tax.
9. Local council rates ( tax)
10. Local council levies collected on behalf of the state government.

I have left out Business taxes and compliance costs ... Perhaps these could be raised and distributed.

Housing? Please read the AHURI articles detailing the taxes levied on making land and housing unaffordable.

Pay more tax? OK. which ones can be raised then syphoned off and be used for redistribution?

Lyn if you think the average Ozzie is prepared to pay an extra $30.00 a week, so your hand out trained customers can eat sturgeon eggs, rather than chook eggs, why don't you ask them?

You have already trained every drop kick to expect a comfortable living from welfare, & the extra handouts they can cadge from NGO's like yours, but hell that doesn't yet include caviar, why not?

Could it be you damn well know we are sick of bludgers, & want less of our earnings wasted on them?

Why do you people continue with this destructive technique of making sure our bludgers want for nothing? The more comfortable you & other NGOs make them, the less likely they are to get off their fattening backsides & go work for a living.

I had the girl from one of our feral families in, wanting to use my phone, the other day. Mum & dad, 2 boys in their 20s, & a 20 year old daughter, already with 2 fatherless kids. They have over $2000 a week, $4000 a fortnight coming in from welfare, but their phone was cut off for no payment of the bill. Strange how I can pay my bill, on less than a quarter of that.

She wanted to ring lifeline, to get some food. At the finish of a whining phone call the girl had the hide to say, "don't send any mince or sausages, we don't eat that crap".

Lyn I don't know how you can sleep at night, knowing you are using the taxes of hard working, & often struggling Ozzies, to keep this kind of garbage in the comfort they most definitely don't deserve.