Agree with much of this Tristan, the idea that a flat tax is inherently unfair is wrong!
We have a case where around 40% of guest corporations/multinationals, many with budgets larger than many sovereign nations, pay no company tax to anyone; and 95% of corporate Australia have offshored their operations, to avoid tax.
Simply put Tristan, a UNAVOIDABLE flat tax ,would bring these groups back into the fold, to once again pay their fair share of a common burden.
And that number would be very much greater than the combined total of our current tax collections from all sources!
In a 1.6 trillion dollar economy, an 18% unavoidable expenditure tax would raise some 380 billions.
Including the domestic avoiders as well as the aforementioned, would more than triple that number; meaning, the actual % number could come down and down, and moreover, be collected as the only tax impost needed!
Meaning, fuel excise, the GST, payroll tax, PAYE, PAYG land tax and all the convoluted complexity could all go.
The tax rate could then be varied microscopically to alone control all inflation or stagnation, and simultaneously where deemed essential!
The huge new surpluses, would enable welfare to be virtually doubled in return for the end of unfair dismissals; mean, every Australian citizen, would be better off, as would the currently struggling non-mining economy.
We with one single exception are the most over-governed people on the planet. Reducing the number of political and bureaucratic burdens, could save as much as 70 billions per, and would see the economy respond, by creating many more jobs.
The second part of the picture Tristan is the roll-out of cheap energy.
We have enough thorium to power the would for 700 years?
And the fact that the successful prototypes have maxed out at around 50 MW, means they will need to be numerous.
Not a problem for plants that can be massed produced and then trucked to almost any suitable location!
A feature which would end the need for a huge national grid and huge national losses, and indeed, the cheapest energy provision anywhere!
Rhrosty.

As for Labor, how are they so different from the coalition, and where are the ideas or actual difference!
And here I'm talking about imponderables/endless non-fundable rhetorical posturing, rather, anything practical!? Well?
The nation is crying out for future vision and practical reform, needed as never before, in the course of our history!
It's high time one or both the major parties put we the people and the nation first, rather than endless partisanship, and petty party politics first!
And wouldn't that make and very pleasant and long overdue, and very welcome change!?
Rhrosty.

It's not small versus large government, simple $$$ are a poor metric. It is effective versus wasteful government. Labor is wasteful so always it needs more and more to achieve its "Goals" but of course being wasteful means it is trying to fill a tank with a sieve. There is currently more than enough collected iff it is effectively used, the Parasite Classes really need to study along with the own classic fables (Marx, Engels, Stalin, Gillard) the "Goose that Laid the Golden Egg" (my young Niece would be happy to lend it if necessary).