Given that our government is funding so many non in-house expenses, we now appear to have a situation whereby every funding promise is going to have to be a case of robbing from Peter to pay for Paul. Either that, or they simply invent a new tax.

Either way, I liken our system to a mother pig, with ten teets, with which to feed fifteen piglets.

Surely even Bilnd Freddie can see this is simply unsustainable and the waste simply can't continue.

Is this really what we, the tax payer, go off to work and pay our taxes for?

They did not invent it but they implemented a new tax the one they said they would not - The Carbon Con (tax) more money for a very few rich people like Al Gore and more money for politicians to waste.

Gentle men, are you aware the current tax rates are less than under Howard?
Over all tax reform is a must, but lets us not invent problems.

Belly - and are you aware that under Howard we had a $20 Billion dollars surplus now we have approx $200 Billion DEBT. Guess who who is going to end up paying that off. Sorry to blow your argument.

So Belly, is it fair to assume our taxes could come down, our pensioners could live well, our schools, hospitals etc could have the funding they need, if not for our policy of supporting every swinging dick in the world.

One can only imagine where we would be today if all those billions hadn't been poured into these lost causes, and I say lost causes because little, if anything has been changed by the billions spent.

With mining widely tipped to detract, where will the next wave of billions, flagged for these causes, boat arrivals and war to name two, come from.

what a coincidence the art of squandering is brought up here. Only a few days ago I talked with former work mates & said that isn't it funny how 20 years ago we lacked certain infrastructure. Some 50 million Dollars later we're still lacking the same thing. We've come a long way alright.