"Aidan, the whole "debt is good" outlook worries me.......the only time debt does us a favour is in establishing a credit rating."

sonofgloin, that's absolutely ridiculous. Debt does us a favour in enabling us to afford to do what we otherwise couldn't.

But there's a lot more to it than that. Most of the world's money supply only exists because of debt. Essentially the choice is between more public debt, more private debt, or replacing the world's financial system with something else. Which do you favour?

Well obviously corporations are country shopping for the best corporate tax deals, this is the global space we live in.
They are playing countries off against each other and we need to change that so that we are playing themselves off against each other.
They are holding the jobs as ransom to avoid tax altogether.

We are playing the fool in their game.

I saw an article today here which mentioned a few companies that do not pay any tax:
McDonald's Asia Pacific Consortium, Qantas, Virgin Australia, General Motors and William Hill.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-15/australia's-top-tax-paying-teen-paid-ato-500000-dollars/7328010

Does anyone honestly believe McDonalds or Qantas or Virgin or William Hill will shut shop and give market share to a competitor if we force them to pay tax?
No they'll pay it, begrudgingly.

(Manufacturing might go elsewhere though, but face facts manufacturing is not in any way competitive here. We were going to lose those jobs eventually anyway)

Our politicians are idiots and so are we.

Armchair Critic>> Does anyone honestly believe McDonalds or Qantas or Virgin or William Hill will shut shop and give market share to a competitor if we force them to pay tax?
No they'll pay it, begrudgingly.<<

AC,worth repeating........

Legalize marijuana and sell it to generate revenue. Would pacify people and the 'coward hit' problem would be reduced allowing bars to stay open to generate further revenue.

phooey, AIUI there are many different strains of marijuana; most reduce aggression but some increase it.

But I I think this discussion would be more suited to the Is Big Business... thread.

please read discussion "consistency is overhyped"