Can anyone get hold of the excel spreadsheet.

This article would have been better if the labour policy had been analyses too.

You can access the excel file on the New Matilda site here:
http://www.newmatilda.com/home/articledetail.asp?ArticleID=2528

well, Demos I am far from sitting on my derrière doing nothing but whinge. I have gone back to uni to re-train and hopefully be able to go back to work. I have a long-term severe pain disability, but I keep going somehow. Where I live, alternative jobs opportunities for people with my type of disability are rare, but you know what, I still out there giving it a go. I certainly could jump up and down and whinge quite rightfully, because of the way I was mistreated by my so-called workers compensation and that I needed to have $10,000 to fight them in court, but I didn't, so you put it down to experience and move on. But, there two ways I can take this circumstance, sit on my derrière and whinge or pick myself up, dust myself off and keeping going forward and that's what I've chose to do. So please don't judge someone before you've walked a mile in their shoes!

Thanks Grifter,

the following is the coalition and labor tax policies superimposed on the one chart. (NB the Labor Party has helpfully removed it's tax policy from their website. Maybe they should just have a link to the Liberal webpage. Only joking.)

Dammit, does anyone know how to show a chart on this?

The two increases in after tax income at the same up to approx $175K per year, so there appears to be no difference between the two parties. Above $175k the labor policy increase in after tax income drops from approx 3.5% to 2.5% at $250k income, while the coalition policy rises slightly from 3.5% at 175K to 4% at $250k.

There is no difference between the two policies for the 97% of people on less than $180k per year.

No one wants to really address the cause of our woes as this would actually require treating the disease rather than the symptoms. So instead, the pollies just dole out more meds (election money promises) and most everyone seems happy about it.

Its ironic how we measure standards of living. lt more akin to standards of pointless toil and work in the pursuit of more stuff. Australians work some of the longest hours in the world. Work/Balance is a pipe dream for most. Folks are rushing from nothing to nowhere, stressing themselves into an early grave.

Its an ambitious race to the bottom.

Take so-called climate change. No one wants to address the wanton consumerist ethos thats driving us in that direction. Its all about making 'less' poluting choices, carban trading/tax/offest schemes which essentially gives one the ability to pay for pollution. Like Al Bore, he just pays for his overblown carbon output. Instead of doing the obvious, like living in one house instead of three, not scooting about in private jets, giving away 7 of his 8 LCD tvs, etc. This is widely symptomatic.

The only answer is consume less, MUCH less.

And start looking at ways that truely improve our standard of living, ways that eschew buying, owning, accumulating more future landfill. Start looking at ways to be satisfied with life that doesnt make one an addict of status anxiety.

Ultimately, the stuff of life that increases standard of living isnt material. Its people, relationships, family, community, sprituality, intelligence, interest, curiousity, nature, love. Ya know, all that stuff thats considered a bit glib and tacky these daze.

Give it a go. You will see how pointless the pursuit of nothingness really is.

In the meantime, we can complain about it on the web and complain about the complaints of the complainers. DEMOnstrate the irony.