Hi Aidan

You said

“Having the GST at only 10% gives us an advantage over most of the rest of the world. We should try to strengthen that advantage by abolishing it.”

Even at just 10% and with a comparatively narrow tax base, GST still raises about $57 billion.

http://budget.gov.au/2015-16/content/bp3/html/bp3_04_part_3.htm

How would you propose to make up the shortfall if it is abolished?

Beach, you are entitled to your extreme opinions, but they are exactly that, opinions, not facts. Every post you make contains abuse of The Greens. it is obvious you know nothing of the party with your stupid reference to "lunar NSW watermelons", or Senator Lee Rhiannon, yet continue to pontificate as if you are some kind of self proclaimed world expert. In typical red necked fashion you backhand and vilify Aboriginal people, and other minorities whenever the opportunity presents, and it presents here often for one such as yourself. Hate being called for what you are, a personal slur no less, you may intimidate others on the forum, but not me, I am just calling a spade a spade, spade.

Paul1405,

You are forever posting new threads to push the NSW Greens agenda. So it is only natural that anyone who replies might refer to the record of the NSW Greens, such as it is.

You are in complete denial if you do not accept the published reports of Bob Brown's difficulties with Lee Rhiannon and other NSW Greens. See here,

<Greens leader Bob Brown slaps down Lee Rhiannon on Israel boycott policy

GREENS leader Bob Brown has carpeted future Senate colleague Lee Rhiannon for her anti-Israel stance, telling her the policy was a mistake that cost the party votes in the NSW state election.

He has also accused Julia Gillard of insulting Australians by suggesting Greens voters do not have a love of family or their nation.

Senator Brown said the Israel boycott proposal was against his advice and had alienated NSW voters when the party should have been focusing on bread-and-butter issues.

He had conveyed his views to Greens senator-elect Ms Rhiannon in a “robust” phone call this morning.

Senator Brown said the federal Greens in no way endorsed the policy.>
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/victorian-greens-distance-themselves-from-nsw-branchs-israel-boycott/story-fn59niix-1226031927385

It is yet to be seen if new Greens Leader Richard di Natale can be more successful than Bob Brown was in reining in and keeping a lid on the Greens Watermelons.

No doubt there will be interesting times ahead!

Hi Rhian,

In the long term I'd make up the shortfall by replacing it with a broad based land tax (on unimproved land value). But because it would have to be phased in very gradually (probably over decades) to avoid unfairly disadvantaging those who've already bought property, a temporary rise in income tax and corporation tax would probably be needed. These have been cut and cut and cut long after lack of incentive ceased to be a significant limiting factor - raising them a bit should be tolerable. Some business groups would be fuming, of course, but in reality a low tax rate is not one of the biggest factors in deciding which country a business should be set up in. Much more important are factors affecting how easy it is to make a profit in the first place.

I'd also change the way super is taxed. But tax changes are only part of the solution. We also need to change economic policy to maximise economic growth instead of blindly pursuing surpluses.

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Hasbeen,
When you resort to ad hominems, do you actually manage to fool yourself into thinking you're not the one grasping at straws? Do you really think the people who read this are so dumb that they believe your allegations of feeble mindedness when you've failed to point out any objective reason to disbelieve the report?

A great big new tax on everything!
Now where have I heard that before?

Beach, wrong once again, the discussion treads I submit are more topical, and I believe of interest to fellow 'Formites', you included, and are always accepted by the moderator, you also have the opportunity to submit discussions of your choice. My submissions do not have some NSW Green agenda, as you claim. I do not set out to use this forum to push such an agenda at all. Naturally, as a broad based party, Green politics, as does Labor and Liberal, will encompass a wide range of topics, of both a social and a political nature. Your politics are clear to me, given the nature of your posts, not only do you incessantly attack The Greens as loony watermelons, I think we must frighten you, you also attack certain posters continually, as you perceive them as being "lefties" and unworthy to hold an opinion. Despite you claiming originally on this forum to be "middle of the road" politically, and you may not be a paid up member of the Australia First Party, but your posting very much reflect that particular parties extreme right wing politics, nothing middle of the road about it.
As for Lee Rhiannon and Bob Brown in 2011, disagreements in political parties are common place, I am sure Tony Abbott has had one of his robust discussions with Bromlyn Bishop just this week over helicopters, and Malcolm Turnbull over the ABC last week, he may even have shirt fronted them both, lol. Links to Murdoch are not evidence of anything, although you might like to believe it.