I wish people would stop giving small to medium sized businesses a hard time. The real killers of the workers, taxpayers and the nation are Big Businesses (multi-national corporations). Once they have knocked everyone else out of contention across the board, their charges will be astronomical.

Paul, if it's all so easy, why the hell don't you do it.

Don't tell me, let me guess, it's because you couldn't.

You come across as a lefty public servant/academic, one of the real rip off merchants. The only reason you don't like business folk, is because you are jealous. You'd love to be ripping off every one yourself, but you are not smart enough.

Of course you know "they" do, because it's what you would like to be doing, if only you could.

Pray tell me Paul, if it is so easy, why;
Do most small businesses fail within 5 years of starting?
Are there so many empty shops everywhere?
How you know all about all this. Did a bureaucrat mate tell you?

Them please let me know what they do to get these margins you prattle on about, those figments of the imagination of someone with a nasty jealous streak. I'd like to share it with some I know who are going broke

I used to supply stuff to hardware stores. Their gross margins were about 40%, if they could sell their stock for recommended retail price. They rarely could. When you consider their stock holdings, & overheads to turnover, no wonder so many are closing down.

In my town we have lost 2 hardware stores, 4 real estate offices, a computer store, a super market, 3 electrical/appliance stores, a spare parts shop, 2 butchers, & a fruit shop, & there are about 10 premises empty, that have been empty so long I can't remember what was there. All this is in a growing area.

As you know all about it, why don't you come & make your fortune here, running your own business? Give it a go, & stop winging about the few who do make it work for them

I agree with Hasbeen any person found ripping off the tax payer, such people should be assigned to a work gang, cleaning up national p[arks, starting in the far north. Living in a tent city in the bush."

Hasbeen, along with the welfare cheats would you agree that the tax cheats should do a stint at 'tent city'. A bit of re-education for another group of fraudsters. Just quoting your words

The GST has turned even the smallest business person into a free tax collector for the government. At one time, Labor was talking about paying people $22 a week for one hour's work performing this task.

And the result? All talk and no action.

Paul 1405,
Ah yes, the old small business is ripping the country off. Are you sure it's not the public service bureaucrats ? I mean those who get $165/day travel allowance, $140/day meal allowance, an average of two flights /month to some meeting, whilst back in town stay in their own house yet still get the allowances, seven days /weeek. Those thousands of them whose Super is all paid for etc. they're not the ones ripping us off ?

Ah, it's beautiful! Everyone all fired up. Great stuff! That's the Spirit.

;-)

Let me give you all the hot tip. If you want equitable reform, do not vote for either of the main stream parties, as all you are likely to get at best, is a shuffling of the chairs, a few departmental renames, and a bit of tinkering around the edges.

If you don't like the *Greens* then pick someone else, anyone else, but not the mainstream for !#%!'s sake.