Swan puts congestion tax (and other taxes!) on agenda for summit

WOW, just WOW. When you didn't think this government could get any worse...


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...da-for-summit/comments-fn59niix-1226103311518


THE Gillard government has placed congestion taxes back on the agenda, putting them up for discussion at October's tax summit, along with the possibility of other environmentally linked taxes.

A discussion paper released today also raises the prospect of regional tax breaks to encourage workers to areas of skills shortage.

The government is leaving open the option of lowering business taxes further, if it can be done in a cost-neutral way. But it has precluded discussion of the government's proposed mining tax.

It wants an examination of further cuts to "inappropriate" personal tax concessions that could raise funds for priorities elsewhere.

It has emphasised the need to spread the tax burden fairly, placing appropriate burden on those with "the capacity to pay".

In his forward to the discussion paper, Treasurer Wayne Swan said there was more work to be done on tax reform to improve the system's efficiency and create a fairer and more prosperous society.

"As we all know, tax reform is not easy and we will need to focus on the national interest and not just sectional interests," he said.

The Treasurer said his biggest priorities were rewarding hard work and making businesses more competitive.

He said tax reform should also look at ways to improve retirement savings given the huge challenges Australia's ageing population would bring.

The discussion paper outlines possible changes to state taxation arrangements, canvassing potential reforms to stamp duties, insurance and payroll taxes.

The allocation of the GST, which is already being considered by a special review, will also be examined.

As the government battles to put a price on carbon, it has flagged a push to use other areas of the tax system to improve the environment.

"Should Australia consider ways to more closely link road charging to the impact users have on the condition and upkeep of roads?" the discussion paper says.

"Is there a case to more closely link road charging to the impact users have on the level of congestion on particular roads?"

The discussion paper says it is important tax policy is "consistent with the move to a low-emissions economy", and asks whether there are other tax arrangements could be used to "to ensure that people take appropriate account of environmental impacts in their decision making".

The government has also released the invitation list for the October 14-15 summit, naming about a third of participants directly.

Another third will be chosen by invited organisations while the rest will be chosen through an expression of interest process.

There will be 13 trade union representatives, 20 academics and tax experts, 19 federal government representatives, as well as state and territory leaders.

Parliament's independent MPs and senators each get an invite, while the Greens get two spots.

The Coalition isn't invited, but new DLP senator John Madigan gets a guernsey.

Former Treasury boss, Ken Henry, who chaired a review of the tax system under the Rudd government, will chair a panel looking at his recommendations.

Former premiers Nick Greiner (NSW) and John Brumby (Victoria) will be involved in discussions about GST distribution.

 

To lighten the mood, I love the funny comment at the bottom:

Robert Ingle of moonbah valley Posted at 2:32 PM Today

Now I understand whats going on.The Labor government has found a dictionary after each word in the dictionary they add the word tax.

 

Actually, a congestion tax might be ok if done right in a revenue neutral fashion. What if they completely got rid of registration fees and stamp duty etc for vehicles and instead introduced a small congestion charge in central sydney/melbourne/brisbane or whatever?

 

May I remind you, that you are dealing with a Labor government!

 

Sure, I am just pointing out that the concept isn't necessarily bad. As always though, the devil is in the implementation details...

 

Getting rid of the RTA means it may actually have a chance of not sucking donkey balls then.

 

It's the eternal cycle - The nation gets comfortable with prosperity under the Libs and decides that it's time for something new. Labour gets voted in, dumps the economic surplus and realises that it has led the country towards recession, raises taxes, loads up lots of new rules to hobble business which leads to higher unemployment and gets tossed out again.

 

I remember PM Keating put a new treasurer in, forget his name, and basically put together a braindead zero effort budget of raising excises on tabaky and alco. The Zombie budget. Not much has changed.
It was John Dawkins, they actually had five different treasurers in 1991.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasurer_of_Australia
I don't think either party has the interests of ordinary Australians. Dumb and Dumber.

 

Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors... and miss. ~Robert Heinlein

The best things in life are free, but sooner or later the government will find a way to tax them. ~Author Unknown

 

What was that she said about working families and tradies who have to use their vehicle to earn a living when talking about not applying the carbon tax to petrol? Anyone remember the sympathetic, understanding tones when explaining how reasonable that last new tax was?

Grok this?

 

Here we go again, more wealth redistribution in the form of a "fair tax system". The problem is, even if you only do moderately well for yourself, the meddling Nanny State wants to take your money and redistribute it in a way that it thinks it knows best.

True interventionism at its worst. Bring on a flat tax, that is fair.

 

Next: the Leaving The Country For Good tax...

 

Well, now's your chance to get out before it's introduced. Quick!

 

the US already do that, if you leave the US you have to keep paying income tax for ten years.

http://www.taxmeless.com/page4.html

 

I'm hoping the GST doesn't change.

Just like everything else (e.g. consumer goods, junk food, rent), once the prices go up, they stay up, even if the underlying expenses have dropped or the cause has been fixed.

 

Labour has not had enough time in government to develop any economic management skills, hence the blunt instrument approach - Throw money out of a helicopter, pink Batts, school carpets, NBN, set top boxes, then tax, tax tax.

 

what have we done? I do dispair

 

"The Treasurer said his biggest priorities were rewarding hard work."

So presumably the flip side of this is to penalise speculation. The end of negative gearing anyone?

 

Tacrezod,

"The end of negative gearing anyone?"

Komrade paul tried that socialist stunt back in the early '90s I think. The almost immediate result was a slump in the stock market and the rental property market. Landlords off loaded the rental properties onto the housing market, and the rents on the remaining homes went through the roof.

The poor starving renters, for whom I have NIL sympathy being an EX landlord (NEVER again) slept in the park or their car.

komrade paul backed off ASAP.

Komrade wayne is a (VERY) slow learner, and no doubt he will try it, as he is DESPERATE to deliver on his "surplus by 2013" bullshit promise. He will fail.


OC

 

No tax is just. In any form. In any sense. By any means.

The acquisition of wealth by force under any other guise is considered theft.

'Tax' is the metaphoric, socially acceptable language for the same thing. If you condone it in any sense, you condone theft by logical conclusion.

Ask yourselves why you're holding gold and silver in the first place if you don't share the same view.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/24/1061663676588.html

You are an unfortunate victim of HIA industry propaganda OC, which has unfortunately permeated through Australian society.

As with most agendas of modern society bound by trickery and duping the people, propaganda and 'law' remain the prime weapons to strip people of their mind and their wealth.