What would real tax reform look like?

Well for starters a massively downsized ATO!

And we can't have that and the five-plus billions we could save by just chucking the massive money churn we call a FAIR AND EQUITABLE TAX SYSTEM? Now can we!?

In favour of something the current avoiders, not only can't avoid, but will find, but only if sanity prevails, that paying a modest fair share actually costs less in real terms than the money wasted on much more expensive avoidance/money churn!

It will also look like silent as the grave and empty tax practise offices the length and breadth of the land? And the best reason those practices know for keeping the current convoluted complexity. And their opposite number tax warriors with their red tape and bigger government, in the fray!

Well, it's the traditional liberal way, doncha know and therefore cannot, will not (never ever) be properly reformed. Just "reformed" so the average joe pays a larger and larger share!?

That's how one does "never ever" tax reform!? And then labels the asinine absurdity, 87% of the polled survey didn't want, as genuine tax reform!

Maybe for the CEO's with their averaged 15% salary hikes while the ordinary Australian treads economic water at around 2.5% per.

Because the aforementioned suggestions, 5% expenditure or a 15% flat tax, would seem like sanity had prevailed and the inmates had been returned to their dormitory?

And their keepers were back in charge of the asylum, we call principled government, along with fair and equitable treatment, in this wide brown land!
Alan B.

>This is not what we should expect from a "Liberal" government.

Naivety like this is possibly why they are still in Government.

We'd love to be freed from being unpaid tax collectors for the insatiable state.

And Liberal governments are the worst for expanding the state and imposing it on everyone. In fact the howard government was the worst of the worst. Damn they didn't just create more paperwork. They forced people to enter into contracts, buy certain products, join associations, impose state control over private property and even took private property outright and sold it back with licences.
Labor governments blow a lot of money on stupid ideas and fiddle with a lot of frivolous nonsense but Liberal governments of late can't seem to resist going full jackboot.
The worst thing about their bad ideas is they truly believe they're good ideas.

It's all our own fault of course. We've all stood back silently while successive parliments have voted themselves and senior public servants more money and perks. Now the motivation to stand for a seat has changed and it's attracting the wrong types. They're there for title and financial reward. Not to maintain freedom and secure property rights so the individual can confidently pursue his goals and maintaining basic essential services.

To the people drawn to parlimentary and public service today "government" is everything. It's their sugar daddy and they want more sugar. Anything else is inconsequential.
Regulation and red tape get the sugar. It's an addiction.

jamo, you sound like youv'e had the same 'bad' experiences as myself and most other people with a clue as to what's going on.
I would go one step further and suggest that there is no longer a 'choice' of parties.
For years I have felt that the political parties have slowly morphed into one disgusting and greedy group of scumbags in a very smelly cesspool of excrement.
And all that comes from such a place is disease and infections.
This is what we have had to endure now for many years.
I have always felt that these people believe themselves to be entitled to be in govt.
It is disgraceful that people who have NO experience in running anything, suddenly decide they should runa large company like a country.
I agree with your assertion that it is our fault.
I will remove myself from that comment and suggest that the people are too incompetent to make such a technical and intellectually demanding decision such as voting.
These form the majority and are best classified as 'SHEEPLE'.
We have too many immature, un-informed, mis-giuded, naive and gullible, people in this country.
They have enjoyed a lifestyle second to none.
They have made demands of the govt, who have acquiesced to the whims of the people so as to keep on good terms thereby allowing them to get the keys to the 'piggy bank', and the rest is history.
I have enough trouble understanding how anyone can vote for a party that believes a business must pay more to workers at the expense of the business.
But even more bizarre is that anyone would vote for a group of people that have absolutely no relevant knowledge or platform to be called a political party.
I speak of course of the greens.
It goes to the core of the problem with the Australian people.
Because of their shortcomings, mainly ignorance, it follows that they will fill the void in defiance, with arrogance.
Unfortunately, and the fact that they have gone 'bad', the Libs are the only ones with the most business experience.