Reinventing democracy so that it can't by hijacked by money:
http://indymedia.org.au/2010/05/18/mammon-votes-for-abbott .

Mr denmore

quote
"" Your memory may be failing you, but every single substanial legislative change we have made in this country - indeed in any country - triggers self-serving, hysterical and irrational whinging of rent-seekers"

1....No I recall all these other reforms and they made sense. No comparison. Logic is absent here, not a static model at all as Henry implied as financiers do not accept it as is. Name one bank that is happy to fund the projects?

2...So what if people have argued tax before and the roof has not caved in. That debate is why the next time the government normally shows some measure of professionalism and transparancy. We are not subserviants in a dictatorship who kiss the feet of the dictator and obey all they request. Get serious ,it is a joke right. lol

3...self serving. No it is not self serving as the south east that plunder the regional areas, other nations and even the labor of nations of countries like India with cheap call centre staff.It is a colonial mindses that all the world's riches belong the white man.

*These miners are largely multi-national corporations*

Ah Mr Denmore, but those corporations are finally largely owned
by pensioners, as we can see with BP. Their suspension of dividends
will cost each British pensioner around 600 Pounds. Go through
the BHP registery, it is much the same. If you have super, you too
would be a part owner of BHP, even if ignorant of the fact.

*spare me the bleeding heart 'woe is regional Australia' story.*

Australia's regions create the wealth which you city slickers
shuffle around for a living. For you do little or nothing which
competes in the globalised world. But of course we have mob rule,
the mob live in the cities so can outvote deserving regional areas.
So you seemingly spend it as you wish and screw the regions.

*The resources belong to the entire nation*

Nope, the resources belong to the States, that is why they
are paid royalties. You are badly informed.

Judging by the article and posts, few actually understand the
long term ramifications or how the mining industry even operates.

Clearly the miners need to spend even more, to at least try and
educate the ignorant and they are clearly plentiful, as we can
see by Mr Denmore's and other posts.

There was no debate or consultation about the GST (the never ever GST).

Nor was there any debate about Workchoices. These were a done deal.

These were unpopular decisions made by the government of the time. I can't see how the Rudd government's mining super tax is different.

The Mabo decision was a court ruling, based on British Law.

I find it odd that the whingers about the mining tax are all in the mega wealthy bracket. These people are not elected, they were prepared to sack workers at the first sign of the GST, and I am sure they put their own desires before anyone else.

These mega-rich are putting on a good show of demanding that they, not the democratically elected government, run the county. These are the same kind of folk that backed workchoices.

Give us a break, Aka. The 1998 federal election was fought with the GST as THE main issue! If that's not a debate, what is?

Mr Denmore...

you said:

"The government, on behalf of the Australian people, is seeking a greater share of those super profits to ensure a more balanced economy"

On behalf of the AUSTRALIAN people ? ur kidding right ? :)

C'mon.. they are doing it on behalf of their own re-election campaign and those Australians who happen to support them politically.

BUT..it's also a recipe which the Libs will have to look at (not that they want to tell us)

UNFUNDED RETIREMENT LIABILITIES.. appears to be a big factor in all this.

http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/StrategicPaper.aspx?doc=html/Publications/Papers/Retirement_Income_Strategic_Issues_Paper/Chapter_4.htm

Henry was appointed by Liberal Government so it's unlikely he is a Labour hack.

So..in summary.. this is:

1/ After selling off most of the available public assets.. looking around and asking "hmm..where IS the money source"?
2/ Plus a liberal (labour) dose of "How can we pick this inevitable challenge up and spin it so as to enhance our own reelection prospects"

Unfornately for Labour.. they are the incumbent... it seems the Coalition would need to do something like this also... but being in opposition..they can just hurl verbal rocks at it and make political gains :)