DEMOS, I'll pick our version of politics over your US version anyway. Its full of flaws, but at the very least they are flaws that we are used to and understand. I have no problem with trying to improve things, but prefer to err on the side of caution rather than leap into the unknown.

I admit I am a fence-sitter on the topic of GST - I can see both the arguements for and against. It has certainly simplfied matters for most retailers, but complicated them for service industries in particular.

As to stamp duty, you need to look back at our taxation history and that which we inherited from England. We make a big song and dance about the widening gap between and rich and the poor, but once upon a time that gap was much bigger than now. Land-based taxes were the most common (income tax is only a relatively new concept), as the thought-process was that only the rich could afford land, and thus could afford to carry the bulk of the tax burden. Hence the use of taxes such as stamp duty on land purchases. The other side of the coin is that the problem with asset taxes such as stamp duty, is that the tax can possibly be levied on someone that is asset rich but cash poor. Hence income taxes are now more popular (with governments anyway!) as its taxing cashflow and hence is a lot easier to recover.

Country Gal, if we inherited stamp duty from England, we've ccertainly perfected it. I bought a couple of houses in Scotland before coming here.and the stamp duty was a minimal charge. When I first bought here, I told the girl at the bank that she had put an extra zero on to the stamp duty. I was proved wrong as the rate for calculating stamp duty in Australia was then, and maybe still is, approxinately ten times that of the UK. I find it disgusting.

What makes the GST different from the previous system is that it catches up with everybody, even those who paid little tax before - such as pensioners - and creates a lot of extra administrative effort for the self employed.

It's also sneaky because it hides how much tax we really pay.

Look in your wallet, purse or savings account. Some of that money already belongs to the government - you're just holding it for them and they will get it eventually.

Look at your credit card statement. Some of that interest you are paying is actually interest on a tax.

Whinge, whinge, whinge, I can't believe the way so many people have such high expectations and expect the government to supply all the services they do without taxing people. Life isn't fair. In the same way as people are never born equal, some have qualities that give them an edge. It will always be thus and all the government can attempt to do is make it as equal as possible without stifling incentives. Just try and live in other part of the world and you will soon realise that we have got it pretty damned good here. I was born before the second world war and suffered the war years and all the deprivation of rationing and pass-me-down clothes. All my clothes are still second hand. I never eat out, I don't smoke or drink but am totally self sufficient and have never taken the dole, yet I have a great life. A bit of self discipline goes a long way. Try it.

Hi snake,it's not a matter of whinging,it's a matter of asking why my lifestyle should deteriorate because some asXXXX in Canberra thinks he needs to get more taxes out of me.Taxes i may add that are stored and now used in electioneering as "look what a great surplus we have.I have always had to struggle and i managed okay and never whinged.I am asking a simple question.How has the GST affected you.If we had a war and things were rationed or we had a recession,okay,but we are supposed to be having a boom time.If that is the case,why are things so tough?Keep in mind that i have no debt only the day to day running of a house that i own.People are saying truthfully how they have been affected,that doesn't constitute whinging.

Haygirl,your sums don't add up.The GST replaced a plethora of Govt taxes including sales tax of 20%.Inflation stayed the same.Prices overall did not go up.As the economy gets more competitive businesses absorb alot of the GST.Look at the prices of cars and plasma TVs, they ahe fallen.Food prices have gone up because of the drought and preditory pricing of Woolies and Coles who are monopoloising the market.There is no GST on most food items

It is not that simple,so take a deep breath and be more analytical.