Gary Johns, Labor man turned neoliberal ideologue. Another economic fundie.

What I'd like to know is what is wrong with taxing the wealthy? What is wrong with progressive taxation? Why is anyone entitled to unlimited wealth?
We have a minimum wage, why can't we have maximum wealth?

Labor needs to be honest with the electorate and make a case for higher personalctax over a certain threshold.
It's a cinch, just tell the public the facts; the wealthiest 20% have 62% of the pie, the poorest 20%, 1%.
The greedy mob LNP looks after need to be outed.

What a strange article.

Rather than increasing taxes, one solution to greater revenue base is to stop the rich from dodging paying tax.

Someone above called asking states to look after education and health "shunting" the costs.

It is not.

From Day 1 in 1901, the States have been constitutionally responsible for these and other services.

The past 115 years have seen the Commonwealth play games using tax and corporate laws to justify setting up parallel bureaucracies in these areas and then over-riding the States' own departments which they have no choice but to operate.

The Commonwealth is the interloper and the cost of duplication is entirely due to the Commonwealth's desire to control the States through the purse. Of course this duplication should be identified and eliminated.

This isn't "shunting", it is straightforward elimination of wasteful duplication.

Hi JB

Hmm. You speak-um truth *

My main thrust was, and is, Abbott must arrest the declining Revenue Base in order to afford to buy votes. Revenue Base can be expanded by way of income tax bracket adjustments.

* See cameo of Tony Abbott's role in Backbench. Abbott soon Tonto - to Malcolm Turnbull's Lone Ranger. Watch Abbott's true intelligence come to fore http://youtu.be/FC7iUM9L1l4 "Here hat. Me wash in stream!"

Pete

Pete, revenue can be increased by many means, only one of which has your tick of approval.

Other variable revenue streams mentioned in mainstream media in recent times include GST scope and rate, corporate tax avoidance, mining super profit tax, turnover type taxation on money markets (Not sure if this includes the Tobin Tax proposal - I don't know everything yet, but I am trying), ETS, government fees and charges, asset sales and more.

Why only personal income taxation? Have you something against wage and salary earners?

Personal income tax has been allowed to slip as an equitable tax over many years. Its the most in need of fixing and can have the greatest revenue collection benefit.

But the main benefit is that income tax bracket adjustments are more politically viable - doable - than "shock-horror" GST, company, capital gains or other types of tax changes.

Abbott should try it - or fall on his sword.