Bronwyn “spraying the term 'socialist" around so indiscriminately.”
I will spray as I see fit and not as you would try (and fail) to command

“The GST is a regressive and inherently unfair tax.”

Strange, it was adopted first across Europe and then UK and NZ aas well as Asutralia… the only place of significance which does not have a consumption based tax is USA and not sure about Canada… so I guess not many governments think the way you do

“Any flat tax ends up taxing…” that is it is not a flat tax..
Example of a flat rate tax would be motor vehicle registration tax.

GST is a tax which uses a common single rate of levy based on the discretionary consumption spending of everyone. Those who spend more pay more tax your suggestion the poor pay more is silly if they are poor, with less disposable income to spend on GST assessed stuff.

“With the urgent need to introduce climate change abatement measures,”

only according to the gullible wallies who believe that propaganda

“Socialism by Stealth”

something I have been commenting on here at OLO for about 15-18 months now.

“climate change abatement “ in no way alters the deception… but keep trying…

“intelligent tax system” oxymoron.

"this principle could also assist greatly in reducing dependency on health damaging products such as alcohol, cigarettes and junk food and the societal costs they entail.”

It is positively evil that any government and the little warts who support it would direct people into their choice of ingestion of legal substances, especially when those same righteous ninnies often demand the provision of drug rehabilitation clinics etc. for those who ingest illegal drugs and will stand full square against the execution of second offence drug dealers…

Talk about humbug… try rank hypocrisy

Bronwyn your leftwing/socialist intransigence and lack of reason in your posts would suggest you would be the last place I would look for anything which approaches “more flexible and intelligent solutions.”

John Howard was elected multiple times to lead this nation and did a brilliant job of it

Bronwyn,

That's an overreaction.

"The GST is a regressive and inherently unfair tax. Any flat tax ends up taxing low-income earners at a much higher proportion of their disposable income than it does the wealthy."

I don't buy a lot of stuff, but when I look at my grocery bill, the 10% GST I pay on it isn't too bad. So I'd give John Howard and Meg Lees some credit there.

No-one here's saying - at least not yet - that there should be a winding back of lower and middle-class welfare. If there was then you'd have a much stronger equity argument.

The other point is that Government is going to get its pound of flesh one way or another, so it's better that the burden is as fairly spread around as possible. If it's not a GST, who cops it in the neck then. It'll just be the middle income earners again via high rates of income tax like we have had over the past 30 years. Someone will be forced to cough up.

"With the urgent need to introduce climate change abatement measures, for example, we need an intelligent tax system with the flexibility to tax carbon intensive and polluting goods and services highly and energy efficient ones much less so."

OK, you get an intelligent tax system up and running. It taxes the right things, people migrate away from using polluting technologies and the Government suddenly isn't getting a tax bonanza. Back to the old problem of what to do then. Oops, says government, we'd better start randomly taxing again as it furiously dreams up something else to indiscriminately and arbitrarily tax.

The best solution is to eventually make the tax burden as simple and evenly applied as possible. Get rid of all those arbitrary taxes and charges and simultaneously even out the playing field so that as many people as possible can participate in the economy on a more equal basis.

*Contrary to your wild claims, none of the Australian states are 'socialist', nor was Keating’s government and nor is Rudd’s.*

Nor Was Keating? -

It was Keating who called in the Army to deal with the farmers who were protesting of the cruelty of live animal’s exports.

The Army for God sake. Wasn’t 'socialist'- huh not much.
For those of you who have been posting against this trade for two years now you also need to learn a bit of history.

Live Exports was created largely- very largely because of the trade unions.

I have seen groups following in the tracks of the Democrats who were a rubber stamp for the greens.

Now its follow the Greens- who are almost just as much a rubber stamp.
Until people learn they are the ones that must provide for their family- Or don’t have one.

Until they stop wanting everything done for them.

"Buy Australian Made and BTW we better open some places to make Australian made.

Lets face it the States have been mostly under labour and what a huge mess.

Look at the hospitals transport Police - Need I continue.

That should have read the Dems were a rubber stamp for ALP Labour.

Greens are a rubber stampt for ALP.

If people want a better life its up to each and every one of them to create it.

Its up to us to create jobs and some type of industry and for the Government to support it.

Dare I mention Live Exports again- Sorry Col.

I will tell you why it hasnt stopped. Because be it the Howard or Rudd Government its up to 'us' to put forth alternatives.

Of course we have all see what happens to those who dare to put out some alternatives and push for jobs in Australia along with some humanity for animals.

Get out and be active and create something instead of sitting back waiting for others to pay to keep you.

Mow Lawns chop wood Clean cars windows pick fruit if you have no others skills. Do something.

Thats what makes a difference to any country.

This may be a good time to take another look
at the Liberal Party...

Dennis Pryor in his booklet, "Political Pryorities:
How to get on top of Australian Politics," sums up the
Party thus:

Liberal Party

Origins: the 'Fusion Liberals' begat the
'Nationalist Party' which begat the
ironically named 'United Australia Party'
which begat, by a charismatic wave of Mr Menzies
hand, the Liberal Party.

Membership: lawyers, small business people,
big business people, stockbrokers, money marketers,
working class Tories, young people on the make,
old ladies.

Policies: 1945-1966: putting value back into the pound,
resisting the downward thrust of international communism,
keeping the Americans and the Country Party happy.
1966-1983: keeping everyone rich by printing money
and borrowing it overseas.
1984 to present: looking for a leader.

Spiritual home: going round in ever decreasing concentric
circles.

Preferred sin: greed.

Motto: omnia deducenda (Latin for 'everything should be
deductible').

By the way, the PM's bail-out package was passed in the
Senate despite the Opposition, Thanks to the Greens,
the Family First Party, and particularly the Independent,
who held out for the Murray-Darling Basin.

The Liberals will have their chance again in the future, if
things don't improve.

Col the intemperate troll: << I will spray as I see fit >>

I for one am glad that he does so, and does it so consistently and prolifically. He does a far better job of displaying exactly what kind of odious, hateful wingnut he is than anybody else could.

<< Socialism by Stealth >>

An obsessive, paranoid wingnut at that.