So then because a tiny percent (yes it is tiny) of the 37 per cent of national income managed by governments is wasted, it then legitimises the Packers paying just 4 per cent of their income. What a nonsense argument! Australia would be on its knees in just a few months if we were able to do what the Packers were able to do.

A caring Australian?

Well I had alot of respect for Packer. I admired the fact that he lived life on his terms. I also happen to know that he was extremely generous, far more generous then the public is perhaps aware of.

Unlike Murdoch, he actually did pay a hell of a lot of tax in Australia.

On Channel 9 he gave the masses what they wanted. Duh, that is the job of business, to satisfy consumer needs! Sounds like the author
would soon go broke running channel 9, if she was boss.

Personally I watch alot of ABC and SBS. They are Govt funded, so the consumer has options. But I also understand that Trish has no concept of business. Commercial tv is there to satisfy the wants and desires of the masses and in turn make a profit. Perhaps Trish
lacks the balls to understand that :)

And to add to Remco’ statement - the richest 20% of Australian households own 63% of all net wealth in the country; the bottom 20% own just 0.2%. At least one million Australians live in poverty. 54% of Australian’s wealth is made up by property ownership and Packer is/was by far the wealthiest land owner in this nation. But these statistics are irrelevant aren’t they Arjay? KP a caring Australian? I’d just love to see all them big fat camels galloping through the eyes of needles while the big fella looks on incredulously. Amen.

The government spends over $200 billion of our dollars every year. And thats just the Federal government. If you gave the government the worth of the entire Packer empire then they would spend the whole lot in under four weeks. If we want to look for the big gorilla in the market place then its none other than the government.

Should Kerry have paid more tax? Like he told the senate enquiry all those years ago they make the laws not him.

What bugs me is that every time there is talk about reducing the top tax rate people bang on about the rich not paying their share. As if somebody on a six figure salary is in the same league as Kerry Packer or has any control at all over what Kerry Packer pays in tax.

QUOTE: the richest 20% of Australian households own 63% of all net wealth in the country; the bottom 20% own just 0.2%.

RESPONSE: Lets not forget that the oldest 20% of people have had very man more years to accumulate assets compared with the youngest 20%. Why would you expect a 60 year old to have as few assets as a 20 year old.

20% of Australians means 4 million people. You are talking about the elderly couple next door. Their average net worth is equivalent to a modest house in Sydney

No points for joining the media feeding frenzy, Trish Bolton. Australia's mourning is justified.

You conveniently ignore Packer's many achievements: getting filthy rich and doing a lot for cricket. And let's not forget that he managed to amass an enormous fortune and revive Australian cricket.

In addition to making many loyal, rich, friends and government vassals, this generous man found time to become enormously wealthy and broadcast test matches.

What more do you want? Blood?

Detractors like Bolton ignore the fact that Packer not only made himself rich, but boosted cricket too.

How many media moguls would provide emergency defibrillators for ambulances after suffering a heart attack which required emergency defibrillation from an ambulance? His generosity knew no bounds.

Tax minimising is insignificant when you consider how much cricket Packer brought to the people of Australia, and how unbelievably wealthy he made himself.

When you are so rich you can play polo with the Queen, Trish, and when you have ensured that the average Aussie can watch heavily-sponsored cricket matches instead of ho-hum current affairs and incisive documentaries, THEN you can criticise the great man who was Kerry Packer.

I'm ashamed to live in a country where the average taxpayer receives subsidised education and healthcare while a multi-millionaire like Kerry Packer gets only one state funeral out of the public purse.