http://www.smh.com.au/comment/either-we-pay-the-tax-or-we-lose-the-service-20130923-2u9zb.html
Rechtub you are an extraordinary bloke!
Read first the link, understand it is not Labor propaganda but follows closely my reasons both sides must consider reviewing then raising the GST.
Then know I support Tony Abbott breaking his promise and doing just that, increase the GST.
We Australians, need desperately, to stop using things that are good for the country to flog each other.
We must review the whole tax system, including a rise in the GST.

Now too, do you think we elected a saint? Abbott already has implemented slippery near lies as policy,s, boat people crushing the climate change and much more.
Think what you want of me, after Labor picks its new leader Abbott,s polling will fall further than Gillards did.

Belly,

While I agree with you on the need for tax reform in order to cater for an aging population, there is more chance of hell freezing over before Abbott raises the GST before 2017 for the following reasons:

a) The result of Juliar and Bligh breaking fundamental promises leaves no doubt that doing this is a guaranteed ticket to losing office.

b) Raising the GST is all political pain for the federal government with all the gain going to the states.

c) Any raising of the GST is going to need to be sold strongly to the voters which will require an independent tax review that strongly recommends it, and ALL the states strongly supporting it.

d) A sweetener such as lowering stamp duty, or removing other taxes.

This is not going to happen before 2017, and maybe not before 2020.

Belly, an extract from your link....

....''I think the pressure that will come on Tony Abbott as Prime Minister is that all the states will say the GST is not growing sufficiently to fund basic services like health and education.

Do Australians really mind that much if the GST was 10 per cent or 12.5 per cent, if it means maintaining high-quality health and education, disability services and the like?

Advertisement
I suspect the Australian people are mature enough to say: 'We'll cop that'.''

Of cause the other thing people would say is, 'what a shame labor wasted so much of our money, as we could have had better health, education reform and our elderly would have been better off'.

Labor 2007-13 sure have a lot to answer for.

The fact is tha the states can moan and bitch as much as they like, the GST WILL NOT change unless Tony Abbott takes it to an election.

As for the boats, TA has already upset the Indonesians, so he must be on the right track, as they care as much about the boats leaving, as we do wanting to stop them, corruption is a terrible thing.

Rechtub let me pat you on the head we agree on NRL and nothing else.
We never will, but if you look harder you will find in my comments in this thread and about 100 posts in others.
I regard it as no sin, but indeed a good act to use the GST to better harvest taxation.
We can all benefit by true reform, tax and yes as you will say waste.
While forever on different sides, [liked your low blow about Labors waste]we both want services from government.
AGAIN let me remind you it was a Labor government Minister Keiting who first bought it up here, it inhabits many parts of the world.
And you need not dig far to see I am *forever* against both sides both wanting it and using it to flog each other, I blame us, for letting both sides pull the wool over our eyes.
Labor in three years time will be a whole new and inventive party.
I hope we have the guts to not change any rises to GST back to its current unfair levels giving some states too little and others too much.

It seems to me that including the GST when reviewing tax is quite
reasonable. You just cannot do other than take into account the effect
of the GST on state revenues and those other revenues.

That does not mean you are looking at changes in the GST.
If you cannot see that then I am sorry for you.

Folks
Take it from me there will be a GST rise. It will be 5% and include certain food and it will be 10% on luxury items. That will put an end to the government having no money in the bank.