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Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #120 –
@DJC

Agree, we're in for a period of instability and uncertainty for sure and I think we are witnessing the rise of small parties, some single issue outfits, which will just add to that. It will be very very difficult for any coordinated and integrated plans and policies for the national strategic future and well being to emerge whilst the focus is fixed on the short term election cycle and the negative approach.

Abbott will be the next casualty very soon. He is not suited to the role of a constructive leader, but is more at home as principal attack dog. Unfortunately for all of us, so is Shorten and so the cycle will repeat.
Reality always wins in the end.

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #121 –
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.
This digital world is too much for us insects to understand.

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #122 –
Quote from: Mantis – on
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.

He rode the mining boom and threw cash around to stay in power - instead of future building. Tragedy. Not the messiah some might think.
Keep the Faith

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #123 –
Quote from: Mantis – on
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.

In fact, Howard has to share the blame for the problems we now face.  He poured money into 'welfare programs' for more well off folk and failed to take advantage of the mineral boom.  Indeed, according to Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson every budget over the 12 years from June 1998 increased spending and decreased tax revenue.  The structural deficit created by Howard and Costello has come back to bite us on the butt.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #124 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Mantis – on
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.

In fact, Howard has to share the blame for the problems we now face.  He poured money into 'welfare programs' for more well off folk and failed to take advantage of the mineral boom.  Indeed, according to Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson every budget over the 12 years from June 1998 increased spending and decreased tax revenue.  The structural deficit created by Howard and Costello has come back to bite us on the butt.

re: Tax revenue...Bottom of the harbor tax schemes robbed the country of tax revenue back then.....did Kerry Packer etc pay any tax?

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #125 –
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Mantis – on
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.

In fact, Howard has to share the blame for the problems we now face.  He poured money into 'welfare programs' for more well off folk and failed to take advantage of the mineral boom.  Indeed, according to Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson every budget over the 12 years from June 1998 increased spending and decreased tax revenue.  The structural deficit created by Howard and Costello has come back to bite us on the butt.

re: Tax revenue...Bottom of the harbor tax schemes robbed the country of tax revenue back then.....did Kerry Packer etc pay any tax?

And the larger companies are still not paying their fair share of tax EB.  If any government could sort out the tax system - and enforce it - our revenue issues would be resolved.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #126 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Mantis – on
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.

In fact, Howard has to share the blame for the problems we now face.  He poured money into 'welfare programs' for more well off folk and failed to take advantage of the mineral boom.  Indeed, according to Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson every budget over the 12 years from June 1998 increased spending and decreased tax revenue.  The structural deficit created by Howard and Costello has come back to bite us on the butt.

re: Tax revenue...Bottom of the harbor tax schemes robbed the country of tax revenue back then.....did Kerry Packer etc pay any tax?

And the larger companies are still not paying their fair share of tax EB.  If any government could sort out the tax system - and enforce it - our revenue issues would be resolved.

The easy solution is to raise the GST to 12%, include bread, milk and other main essentials and let the average punter like you and me pay those taxes >:(....both major parties wont confirm or deny any interest in raising the GST, Abbott rejected it for this government but didnt deny it would happen if given a second term
Major economists also favor raising the GST......so you know its coming......and from memory there isnt one other country in the world with the GST that hasnt raised the initial value...

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #127 –
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Mantis – on
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.

In fact, Howard has to share the blame for the problems we now face.  He poured money into 'welfare programs' for more well off folk and failed to take advantage of the mineral boom.  Indeed, according to Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson every budget over the 12 years from June 1998 increased spending and decreased tax revenue.  The structural deficit created by Howard and Costello has come back to bite us on the butt.

re: Tax revenue...Bottom of the harbor tax schemes robbed the country of tax revenue back then.....did Kerry Packer etc pay any tax?

And the larger companies are still not paying their fair share of tax EB.  If any government could sort out the tax system - and enforce it - our revenue issues would be resolved.

The easy solution is to raise the GST to 12%, include bread, milk and other main essentials and let the average punter like you and me pay those taxes >:(....both major parties wont confirm or deny any interest in raising the GST, Abbott rejected it for this government but didnt deny it would happen if given a second term
Major economists also favor raising the GST......so you know its coming......and from memory there isnt one other country in the world with the GST that hasnt raised the initial value...
I don't mind a rise in GST..as long income tax lowers proportionally. User pays. Mind you. Big business are taking the piss and a liberal government will not bring them to the table.
Keep the Faith

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #128 –
 Raising rates of GST and applying it to the more essential items of life always hits the poorest people hardest, since they are on low incomes and spend most of their incomes on essentials. Compensating reductions in income tax does little for them.

Changes to the tax base need to be comprehensive and fair across the board, with strong mechanisms in place to enforce payment. Don't hold yer breath.
Reality always wins in the end.

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #129 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Mantis – on
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.

In fact, Howard has to share the blame for the problems we now face.  He poured money into 'welfare programs' for more well off folk and failed to take advantage of the mineral boom.  Indeed, according to Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson every budget over the 12 years from June 1998 increased spending and decreased tax revenue.  The structural deficit created by Howard and Costello has come back to bite us on the butt.

One of the issues we faced were the bizarre forecasts of really aggressive growth in the face of already high commodity prices and a flat world economy. Where was that going to come from and why was anyone surprised it didn't?

We needed tighter control over spending after the gfc instead of a pace which was faster than was apparently unsustainable.

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #130 –
I used to cringe at Rudd's tortured efforts to incorporate vernacular expressions into his speech in a misguided attempt to appear more blokey and less of a nerd.

Vernacular expressions roll of Abbott's tongue like sh1t off a shovel but in such a way that it trivialises important issues.  While announcing national security measures Abbott said "But that doesn't mean we should let bad people play us for mugs, and all too often they have."  WTF does that mean?

I reckon Abbott has difficulty comprehending complex issues and even more difficulty articulating them.  Surely his advisors and speech writers can give him a form of words that make sense and doesn't reduce fundamentalist terrorism to goodies vs baddies.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #131 –
we are simply following a pre determined script.

"Leaders" like KRUDD, ABBOTT (and Costello...:D) are worth gold to the oligarchichal figures that ensure governments get power and stay in power, and in the process they all get rich together at the xpensive of Joe Average Citizen, making decisions that ensure that big money makers, continue being big money makers, and not making the right tough decisions that would help the everyday Australian.

Meanwhile, the every day Australian is too busy getting caught up in matters that really don't have any importance to anything (like taking exception to the Knighthood of Prince Phillip, seriously who actually gives a flying screw?) rather than the pissing of tax payers money up the wall, and real issues like rising unemployment etc.

The system is very much broken.  Very much, and the problem I see is that we are too busy caught up on the issues that don't matter, to worry about the one's that do.  The big issue is the media are very much involved, and they present us the stuff they want to.  I recently cringed to hear that not many people had heard about the 10 year old Nigerian suicide bomber, who killed over a few hundred Nigerians.  This suicide bomber actually had no idea what SHE was doing as she was given a bag, and told to walk over to a market, and the bomb was detonated remotely.

Yet, it barely made news.  It followed the script.  Nigerians died.  Why should we care?  Meanwhile 14 people at a French Newspapers office are killed, and its candlelight vigils, and terrorist attacks on democracy and dominates the papers for weeks.  What are they really distracting us from?


"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #132 –
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Mantis – on
How did John Howard have the country in a strong financial position, and then everything just went wrong. All of a sudden we are in such debt it isn't funny. The country can't dig itself out of its current hole, and things can only get worse. I get a feeling we haven't had a governing party that knows how to balance a budget for a long time now. Elwood mentioned the fuel prices and interest rates. If we had interest rates up a few percent and petrol prices up close to $1.50 per litre, there would be many families living in the streets.

In fact, Howard has to share the blame for the problems we now face.  He poured money into 'welfare programs' for more well off folk and failed to take advantage of the mineral boom.  Indeed, according to Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson every budget over the 12 years from June 1998 increased spending and decreased tax revenue.  The structural deficit created by Howard and Costello has come back to bite us on the butt.

re: Tax revenue...Bottom of the harbor tax schemes robbed the country of tax revenue back then.....did Kerry Packer etc pay any tax?

And the larger companies are still not paying their fair share of tax EB.  If any government could sort out the tax system - and enforce it - our revenue issues would be resolved.

The easy solution is to raise the GST to 12%, include bread, milk and other main essentials and let the average punter like you and me pay those taxes >:(....both major parties wont confirm or deny any interest in raising the GST, Abbott rejected it for this government but didnt deny it would happen if given a second term
Major economists also favor raising the GST......so you know its coming......and from memory there isnt one other country in the world with the GST that hasnt raised the initial value...

Would be a brave politician that went that way. You can't just spring that on the public - you absolutely have to take it to the polls.

Gillard basically bumped the GST in the form of a carbon "price" without taking it to the polls, killed her. Howard did take it to the polls and got in by a bee's dick and still struggled big time to get in for the election after.

Death at the announcement or in the following election.

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #133 –
Quote from: ItsOurTime – on
Would be a brave politician that went that way. You can't just spring that on the public - you absolutely have to take it to the polls.

Gillard basically bumped the GST in the form of a carbon "price" without taking it to the polls, killed her. Howard did take it to the polls and got in by a bee's dick and still struggled big time to get in for the election after.

Death at the announcement or in the following election.

That claim that the carbon price was defacto GST increase is so bogus yet it keeps getting floated around. The carbon price did exactly what voters wanted, forced billionaires and corporations to pay some tax. It cost Joe average feck all, I think a joint study by two or three of the countries leading Uni's pegged it at about $6 a year per person for the consumer. It was a prime example of how shock jocks like Jones and Law have too much power, offering paid for opinions rather than reality. Trumpeted by Monckton, FFS really??

Is there some resemblance, family perhaps?



"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: Republican of the Year

Reply #134 –
I haven't seen anyone say that the carbon tax was a de facto GST, I was quite happy with coming up with that one.  :))

No company simply absorbed the carbon tax, nor were they supposed to. Or if they were, that was lala land thinking