Ludwig - I agree BIG business runs the country not the people we elect. How many times in the past 20 years have you seen newspaper headlines - Ford, Holden, Alcoa etc will have to close a plant or leave Australia for FINANCIAL reasons, A few days later the Governments of the day (labor Liberal - state or Federal) are throwing millions there way and offering BIG tax or electricity rate reductions.
BIG business is good at paying very little or no tax. Same with the very rich people paying very little or no tax.

.....BIG business is good at paying very little or no tax. Same with the very rich people paying very little or no tax.

Philip, if you went out and borrowed billions, and risk everything, you too could pay less tax, however, this argument is a distortion of the real picture.

Before paying tax, there are deductions, which by the way, would be paid as tax if not there in the first place.

Big business pays exactly the correct amount of tax, in most cases, which is currently 30c in the $. Not a red cent more.

Just thank your lucky stars that big business has the BALLS to take these risks, otherwise we would all suffer, as there would be very few jobs on offer and very few places to see, invest in and spend our money.

Then reality is, our taxation system is doomed and simply can not keep up with demand.

A whole new approach is what is needed and a transaction tax, whereby money is taxed, not people, would be a good starting point.

rehctub - 2 words "tax havens" but I totally agree the tax system needs fixing.

Individual rich people use trust funds and corporations to negate paying tax because they earned nothing much but the millions they spend is spent by the corporations they control for like $1 per share.
The Companies are registered in a country with very low tax rates, even though as with a few in Guernsey all they have is an empty office with a mailing address. No time to do full write up on there tactics but you should be easily able to find them.
Remember Allan Bond years ago paying 1 cent tax on the dollar.

Flat Tax will sort this nonsense ! Like the bloke who claimed cyclone damage a 1000 km from where the winds were blowing because the rain kept patrons away, phantom patrons yet he got 10 Grand & bought himself an $ 8000.- watch. Unethical ? Yes, but who let him claim that ? You guessed it, bureaucrats.
Anyone can make money that way. Fortunately there are still many who are decent enough not to exploit stupid Governments. Bureaucrats are even worse than business people. At least business gives something back.

Unfortunately you still have about 48 -50 per cent of people who will still vote for these charlatons (Greens/Labour). When we arrive at Greece and Spains level of debt it will be those who support this idiocy that will be rioting in the streets trying to defend their tax payer benefits despite it destroying the nation.

I don't know how the states are going to benefit from extra royalties.
Wasn't the deal that extra royalties were to be deducted from state reimbursement of GST, and given to the miners.
We are paying less tax now in real terms than 10 years ago, so if you want to pay more tax raise the GST, that way everybody pays.
No idea what phillip is on about, he talks in riddles.