Hi Bazz,

Liddel supplies power to NSW, are you suggesting the NSW government take it over, or nationalise it? According to AGL, the owners, they have plans for a clean energy hub in the region, which includes Liddel.

Paul,

Are you suggesting that you are an expert on tax/ incentives negotiation in the mining/gas/oil industry?

While I understand that greens policy to tax is always more, intelligent people realise that there is a sweet spot between companies paying zero tax and huge tax closing these businesses.

These companies already pay a considerable amount of tax and royalties, their employees pay vast amounts in p.a.y.e. and g.s.t., and their profits provide funds for retirees means that the country is already hugely well off because of them.

What Albozo and his 40 thieves have done is to demonstrate once again that:
1 Labor cannot be trusted to maintain agreements made for 40 year investments,
2 Labor governments are a sovereign risk.

Hi SM,

Are you suggesting that you are an expert on tax/ incentives negotiation in the mining/gas/oil industry? I can say the same for you.

You may argue Australia gets a very good deal, on minerals and resources, but I make the point, compared to others in the market, our deal is considered below par in many respects.

Do you also not trust the NSW Coalition government, as they have placed a cap on the price of coal. WA by far the biggest gas exporter, 60%+ nationally have been savvy in striking a very good deal for their state as far as local gas supplies are concerned. The big resource companies are happy with that.

As far as tax, the Tories are the same as Labor on taxation, no better no worse. The claim that they are better is simple another Tory lie. Remember Little Johnny Howard and his "non core" promise; "They're never be a GST under a government I lead." Tories you can't trust them.

The Greens believe all should pay their fair share of tax, including multinationals, who are paying virtually zero.

Paul,

The claim that multinationals pay no tax is a proven lie. Multinational miners get a tax rebate on corporate capital spent as does every business in Aus which means for multi $bn investments, there is a large rebate on corporate tax for a number of years.

However, they still pay royalties (a tax) a 40% profit tax on oil and gas, G.S.T. employee taxes etc. And when the depreciation is complete they will pay full corporate tax. (like every other business)

I am not an expert, but having run a business I can call out the BS put out by the greens.

Hi SM,

I to ran a small business in the 1980's for almost 3 years, offering Engineering design, draughting and consultancy services, employed a couple of people on contract, etc. I do understand both the difficulties and the benefits of small business. A good accountant is essential. At the time I made the effort to do a 6 month small business course, which was very helpful. It certainly helped me pay off our home and buy an investment property at the time. My youngest son has run his own 'shop front' retail business successfully virtually from the time of leaving school in the 2000's.

No one, certainly not I, are saying; "multinationals pay no tax" what is said they minimise tax with loopholes you could drive a 10 ton truck through. The question is do they pay a fair share of tax, or is their profitably such that they should pay more tax. We've all heard of the 'Google' example when the tech giant earned billions in Australia and paid legally, if not morally virtually no tax, by exploiting the generous tax laws.

Paul,

There is a branch of economics called public economics which I studied as part of my economics degree. Its focus is on maximising the "public good" via legislation tax and state-owned companies and uses a rational basis for deciding what should be state-owned and what should be private, how taxation can yield the greatest public benefit while doing the least damage and what incentives create the most public good while affecting the government coffers the least.

The "fair" tax as advocated by the greens almost always means higher taxes, but there are always negative results such as companies offshoring etc which reduce the public good far more than any additional tax revenue.

Highly educated economists spend a lot of time trying to refine these issues and try to avoid using tax as a punitive measure.