Dear rehctub,

I don't consider the current government as being
economically efficient at all. The same as I did
not consider what was done under John Howard as
being good economic management either. Selling off
assets, neglecting infrastructure, and the basics
that go towards making people's lives easier is not
my idea of good management. The same as I don't
approve of the Paid Parental Scheme that's being
proposed while an investment in childcare would
help greatly. And telling us to tighten our belts
while the system is being rorted by "jobs for the boys,"
is not something that's to be highly commended either.

But enough said. My idea of the right sort of leadership -
is someone who's not interested in political point-scoring,
photo-sessions, motherhood statements, spin and rhetoric.
Someone who has initiative, leadership skills, drive,
negotiating ability, willingness to take risks, and
persuasiveness. Someone who doesn't go for knee-jerk
reactions - but long-term planning - seeing the bigger
picture. Someone with the experience and nous to be able
to handle themselves on the global stage. Someone -
who is genuinely concerned with what's good for the
country and not party affiliations. Someone everyone of us
could respect.
When you next see someone like that, let me know.

Lexi, while I agree with much of what you say, the problem with getting a long term government, with vision, is that so many people who vote, vote with 100% self interest in mind, or, they only vote because they HAVE TOO and therefore often vote for who delivers the most spin.

PPL, yep, fully support your view as that's a shocker, however, there are some on this very site who think it's a great idea, simp,y because it suits them, even though they no doubt know it's unaffordable.

The truth of the matter is that our expediter outstrips our income and unless we see some real tax reform, few things will change. But one thing is for certain, and that's that we can't continue to expect less than one third of our population to pick up the slack, then pay the bills.

Dear rehctub,

The former treasurer Martin Parkinson agrees with your
take on things.

"Australia is living beyond its means. Martin Perkinson,
former Treasurer has warned that we don't collect
enough taxes to pay for public services."

Here's the link:

http://newmatilda.com/2014/04/03/more-tax-or-deeper-cuts-its-time-choose

Foxy,
Not living beyond our means but way way beyond our means and with outlandish expectations as well.

Thanks for the link Foxy.

This has been a progressive problem, one that has taken at least twenty years to surface and it is my opinion that the main culprit has been welfare, and I don't just mean dole bludgers..

You see twenty odd years ago wokers, mainly men, were presented with an unheard of opportunity, find a partner and have kids and sit back and let someone else pay to raise them. They were also in the enviable position of deciding whether it was worthwhile returning to work, or just sit back for the ride, courtesy of the other tax payers.

This in my view is where the rot started and successive governments have simply followed suit. In fact, we now have generational families who have not lifted a finger yet have raised children.

I remember taking my little ones to the movies one day and was amazed that I as a worker paid full tiilt, while a single mother in front of me received a huge discount. I thought then that was wrong, a doctors bill or a prescription maybe, but a movie ticket!

Now add to this the billions wasted on uninviteds and the hundreds of billions spent with little to show from the previous government and we are now in the mess we are.

I dont agree with Raising the GST as poorer people will loose big time.

It's my view that a true finacial transaction tax is our only hope, one that makes big business pay, while stimulating the economy through increased net wages.

Finally, we don't make anything anymore and in fact, more and more jobs are created from falsely value adding services or double ups of red tape, many of which are funded by the very taxes paid to the government to govern.

You then have the growing number who make their living by being the middle man, effectively doing very little yet often making more money than the person who made, or grew the item.

Continued

Foxy, back to leadership, there are a few relatively simple steps that could be game changes in my view, such as.

Grants. Let's take small business grants. Why on earth are these not interest free loans, loans which are to be paid back in either five years, or, when the business starts to turn a reasonable profit.

Same goes for home owner grants, as these could also be interest free loans.

Say it was a loan for ten years, which means it has to be repaid within ten years, or, even sooner if the property is sold, or it's equity borrowed against.Either way, governments must find ways to better use our money, and getting several bites a the cherrie, like grants for instance is a good place to start.

Solar is another, whereby people could have ten years to pay back a system, same goes for insulation if anyone was game enough to revisit this scheme. Because wit our looming jobs crisis, some thing has to be done because not only will we see a lot of jobs lost, but that also equates to loss of taxes, placing even more strain on our already strained revenues.

Affordable housing, why on earth dont governments lease land, whereby the home owners pays for the house, but the government always owns the land. If they owner defaults, then the house and land are sold and the proceeds go back in the kitty.

As I say, welfare is outpr biggest strain, even before we try to look after others from abroad. Just because Abbott may have stopped the boats, he hasn't stopped the bills, bills that simply were not there seven years ago.

Finally, all senior politicians should be paid more, and must hold professional indemnity insurance, so WE are not the ones left holding the can.