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The Forum > Article Comments > About Tony Abbott: we hate to say 'We told you so', but ... > Comments

About Tony Abbott: we hate to say 'We told you so', but ... : Comments

By Alan Austin, published 9/2/2015

That stench of hypocrisy – worsening by the hour – is from Australia's mainstream media – newspapers and electronic media run by Fairfax, Murdoch and the ABC.

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Agree with that, Foxy,

You won't be surprised - if you have read the article giving rise to this discussion - if it is suggested that this may be due to the influence of a certain media magnate who lives in America and directly controls much of Australia's media.

Such is Australia's doom.
Posted by Alan Austin, Tuesday, 10 February 2015 10:17:43 AM
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Fox, "Am I the only one seeing what is obvious?"

You need to move on.

It should be so obvious to all that the CGT should be as a first priority, broadened and as a second priority increased as to be a self-evident truth. Yet both sides of the parliament are trying to be populist and are ignoring the shortfall of tax receipts that is increasing the deficit.

Meg Lee, whom you probably supported at the time, sure stuffed it on the GST and so did Labor.
Posted by onthebeach, Tuesday, 10 February 2015 10:49:18 AM
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The problem with that, Onthebeach, is that the GST is regressive. Any change to the GST will impact poor people more than the middle income earners, and middle income people more than the rich.
So complex offsets are then required.
Far simpler to just do what the last Parliament resolved to do, had that government been re-elected:
(a) reap just a tiny amount of the super profits given to foreign companies via the vast mineral wealth being shipped abroad so cheaply;
(b) rejoin the rest of the world with some sort of tax on carbon pollution;
(c) recoup some, if not all, of the $50 billion lost to the economy on superannuation concessions;
(d) clamp down on the burgeoning tax avoidance industry;
(e) deal effectively with tax evasion; and
(f) cut back the wasteful government spending that has occurred since September 2013.
Budget deficits will soon be restored, the debt will be repaid, and everyone will be able to enjoy tax cuts.
It's just a matter of arithmetic really.
Oh yes, and getting the rich to pay a fair share.
How hard could that be ..?
Posted by Alan Austin, Tuesday, 10 February 2015 11:08:37 AM
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Alan Austin,

All taxes are unfair. The GST is the fairest tax for all, taken as a package.

Yes there are other matters such as superannuation that need to be looked at in the tax review.

However the GST does need to be broadened and increased as a matter of urgency. Time is of the essence as well.
Posted by onthebeach, Tuesday, 10 February 2015 11:30:36 AM
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Alan Austin,
Be very careful with matters of arithmetic — people often use them to justify bad policies, usually after treating constants as variables or short term increases as trends.

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onthebeach,
The GST is one of the unfairest taxes of all. It's easily dodged (by buying from overseas), it hits the poor hardest, it increases the cost of living and it is costly for businesses to comply with.

It shouldn't be broadened or increased, it should be abolished.
Posted by Aidan, Tuesday, 10 February 2015 12:16:17 PM
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Isn't it amazing how we now hear conservatives talking about the advantages to the rich of superannuation and the need to raise revenue through it?

When Labor even meekly suggested a small reeling back in Costelloe's largesse the LNP went completely ape$hit.

As an aside, Tony, Tony, Tony, what did you say to your South Australian federal members to buy their spill votes? Don't they get it? They've been sold a Tony, just like the electorate at the last election. Poor dears.
Posted by Luciferase, Tuesday, 10 February 2015 12:17:12 PM
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