It is encouraging that the Albanese government has opened a conversation
over how we fund the ballooning care costs and support for vulnerable citizens.
It is concerning that the initiative is via a discussion
paper and, no doubt, a plan to control the discussion and guide it to an
outcome that fits the Labor agenda.
It’s time that all politicians realised they do not have
sufficient trust to force their biased agendas upon the public after a sham
consultation lacking detail, facts and analysis.
It is time that Citizens' Juries were used to resolve such
complex and important matters!
Indexing tax scales is the morally correct thing for our government
to do. It is unconscionable conduct not to do so.
If a company used such a stealth-like mechanism as tax “bracket
creep” to increase prices, there would be public outrage and a call for action
by the government.
A report in Today’s Australian by Patrick Commins that: “Australians
are paying an average 30 per cent more income tax per person than a decade ago,
even after accounting for inflation” exemplifies the pernicious impact of tax bracket
creep.
Personal tax scales must be inflation indexed!
Australians are lucky to have one of the world’s best-functioning
liberal democracies.
However, our government processes have lost efficacy, being too
focused on political power instead of helping the community understand complex
issues and committing themselves to “common-good” solutions that often have
both “givers” and “recipients”.
A classic challenge is the expectation of some in the
community for more government services than revenues can sustain and rising individual spending power without increased taxes and productivity improvements.
Our governments are not courageous or trusted enough to resolve such dilemmas.
A community-wide dialogue is required, using trustworthy and transparent processes.
Our politicians fail to effectively address the growing
problem of delivering affordable and appropriately located housing for the
community.
The initial discussion focused on how to help young families
commence home ownership. Focus is growing on affordable properties (either to
purchase or rent) for low-income earners, people on social benefits and front-line
service providers who should live near their work.
Given that all three levels of government impact the housing
supply and that our constitution does not provide a mechanism to bring about a
harmonised approach to the issue, a Royal Commission seems the best option for
breaking the inertia.
Allan Gyngell AO, lauded as one of Australia’s leading foreign and strategic policy thinkers, has died after a short battle with cancer...."As Allan tells us, foreign policy is the way the state manages its relationships with other actors in the international system to preserve its national security and prosperity, protect its interests, and advance its values at minimum cost in treasure and blood. Effective foreign policy ensures that no matter how international developments unfold, we will always have options to act."....DARREN LIMhttps://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/allan-gyngell-and-australia-in-the-world/...AUSTRALIA IN THE WORLD PODCAST
