Lets hold up a nation because someone in qld got wet. 1.40 / week for earning over 60.000 / yr is that penny pinching.

When I was a young bloke, I remember getting a rise to 29 pounds [$48] a week. When the boss told this put me just above the average wage I was surprised at the time, as I thought I was doing pretty well, compared to most.

I sat down & did some arithmetic, to see if I could afford an old car I had been lusting after. I still remember some of the figures.

Like the interest on my house loan, which was 4.5%. That makes today's "normal" interest rate, a quote of the reserve bank governor look a bit rich to me.

However it was my tax rate that I'm interested in right now.

On my 29 quid I payed 1 pound 13 shillings & 9 pence. That was 7.25% or $3.48 on my $48 pay.

To put it in perspective the tax on the average wage today is much more than 100 times that, a startling number, even if you say it quickly. As a percentage it's approaching a 400% increase, & still rising.

So to you silly folk saying, "it's only another $5 a week", have a think how many compliant fools must have said that before you.

Governments, particularly those like this one, have a habit of reaching out for not what they need from the taxpayer, but as much as they can get.

I did a bit of math on my council rates a while back. This was when I noticed they had gone from $123 a year to $843 in 6 years.

As I stated in my letter to the editor of our local paper, at that rate of increase my rates would exceed my income in another 12 years. Two weeks later the paper close the topic, but the message I had started, must have got through to the council.The rate of rate increase did diminish somewhat.

So folks, be careful. Your wimpy acquiescence with the red head's rip off will just encourage more of the same

Because SOMEONE in QLD got WET??

See, this is the sort of insensitive ignorance that needs to combated before we start 'asking' for money.

An area the size of France and Germany combined "got wet". Any idea the impact that has on Australia on the whole? No? Wouldn't think so. The Lockyer Valley is GONE as a producer. Thousands of farms will not be producing crops this year ... or till the end of the year, at least!.

Pull your head out of SM's ... uh ... mind set ... for a moment.

Welcome back Rechtub 'brother' eerily, your outlook is identical to a brother of mine with all issues [he too a successful businessman]as mentioned last year to you!

Many years ago I learnt never to be overly confident or (cocky?) about insurance and payouts after natural disasters and unforseen life events regardless of paying premiums and disaster cover with insurance Rechtub. There are loopholes in every policy and contract. Nothing in life is guaranteed as financially or personally secure.

A flood Levy will assist people tremendously along with cuts and deferment of projects and funding to non-essentials over the next 18 months.

QLD and VIC people are our brothers and sisters and also contribute to our whole economy and 'well being', particularly in relation to exports and food supplies.

Few people would have ever expected the extent of La Nina's effects and outcomes.

The least as fellow Australians, we can do, is place ourselves in other people's shoes and treat people how we would wish to be treated over the next 18 months

So what has that got to do with a 1.40 / week flood levy.
All you want to do is stall other projects.
You have political motives for your complaint.
Qld will be flooded again and again, so that is no reason to hold up the rest of the nation.

I don't know why we are even discussing a levy. The solution to the problem is staring us in the face. It won't cost the taxpayer a cent. Where does Australia get the money for rebuilding Australias infrastructure & helping those Australians who have lost everything in disasters? The same place every other country gets it's Aid.

See my first post on page 1, post 6. I was surprised that the post was totally ignored as a reasonable arguement. To refresh your colective memories.

"If Julia wants to have the money to repair Australias's infrastructure & help flood affected people, then she can have a moratorium for 5 years on the $3,879,196,000, (That's $3.9 Billion dollars), in Overseas Aid. Charity begins at home & Australia need that money now. The $3.9 billion is the 08/09 figures. This happens every year and is on top of the 7% of Australian GDP obligation given to the UN every year. Yet Australia has struggling Infrastructure, Roads, Hospitals, Education, etc. Just think of the advancement in these areas Australia could achieve in just a few years.

See http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pubout.cfm?ID=9266_4050_7172_5723_8240

The only money Australia should send overseas in Aid is Emergency Aid for a particular disaster. Not just to bribe 3rd. world countries into supporting us in various UN votes.

I haven't been able to find out how much money leaves Australia through private Aid, Oxfam, Churches, etc, but even if it's 25% on top of the 3.9 billion that would be a substantial amount. Then there are people, Philipino wives, students, interant workers, etc living in Australia who send money to their families & relatives abroard. That's a lot of money leaving Australia in Aid of one form or another.