So, what do you think might be in store for this years budget?

[Dazz]

By all means they needed to do something.

Yes, that seems to be the general thrust....but no-one has offered anything that comes within cooee of attacking the problem.

As one of the posters used to have as their footer - the first thing you need to do to get out of a hole (in this case the biggest hole the nation has ever been in) is stop digging the hole.

Without returning the Budget to surplus, the hole is getting deeper.

 

[ok180]

The Coalition won't get dumped after one term. Recent history shows us that we don't do one term federal governments.

History is history, going forward I reckon anything longer than two terms is going to be considered a miracle. The speed of the news cycle now and the constant polling along with social media are making it harder to hold onto power.

Even though the election is a couple of years away Abbott has to be careful of his image because from day one he has always been considered out of touch and not trustworthy. He has zero charisma basically and can't afford to get off side with the electorate for too long.

Just remember every time someone has to go to the doctor - $7

The patient will cry about the $7

The receptionist will get the ***** because she has to process $7 and says over and over to the patient "blame Abbott"

The doctor has more work to process the $7

Someone has to go to the bank every day and deposit the cash $7

This is how rot sets in with complaining and bitching back and forth.

 

[Ideo]

Yes, that seems to be the general thrust....but no-one has offered anything that comes within cooee of attacking the problem.

As one of the posters used to have as their footer - the first thing you need to do to get out of a hole (in this case the biggest hole the nation has ever been in) is stop digging the hole.

Without returning the Budget to surplus, the hole is getting deeper.

How about removing the diesel fuel rebate for mining companies? That would free up a fair bit.

Remove negative gearing.

Tighten FBT

Get rid of the proposal for maintaining pay for maternity leave.

Tighten the travel perks and super benefits of former politicians

Remove the amount of junior ministers and committee secretaries, who don't do anything except collect the associated higher salary and super payments

Invest in long term infrastructure, research and education to create a smarter, better trained population that will be able to adapt to a changing economic and social situation, rather than shrugging shoulders and saying "well they can go and work in the mines" when the current phase of development of mines is moving into the production phase, with subsequent job loss.

That said, despite questions of equity, the fuel excise proposal does make sense.

 

[Blueberry]

Or even just place a limit of the value of the PPOR - say 1.5 times the current median house value in their city (e.g. Melbourne's would be 970k). If your house is worth more, you have to decide what's more important to you.

Melbourne is a big place. And still you would get arguments that someone who bought a dive close to city would have to relocate further out. This way granny gets to stay in house and government recoups cost of pension.

Essentially they self fund. I would say that is a win win as they get to keep house. We are currently giving pensioners a pension so that they can pass hundreds of thousands of dollars in real estate to their kids.

(i do realise many use their home to get place in nursing home etc and you would have to allow that still).

 

[cimbom]

I would say that is a win win as they get to keep house. We are currently giving pensioners a pension so that they can pass hundreds of thousands of dollars in real estate to their kids.

Isn't the whole point of benefits to support people who are struggling? If you can afford to live in a multi-million dollar house then you don't need assistance. We claim that we're in such financial hardship as a nation that we are virtually forcing the young unemployed into homelessness while at the same time claiming that moving from a $1 million-plus home to one that's say 600-700k is going to be a disaster for the elderly. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[Blueberry]

Isn't the whole point of benefits to support people who are struggling? If you can afford to live in a multi-million dollar house then you don't need assistance. We claim that we're in such financial hardship as a nation that we are virtually forcing the young unemployed into homelessness while at the same time claiming that moving from a $1 million-plus home to one that's say 600-700k is going to be a disaster for the elderly. It just doesn't make sense.

Think of what I suggested as a loan. And the multi million dollar house may be in inner city it, close to family, friends and even their family Dr. They may not cope well with change and if they were to move out it would have to be to a nursing home due to their lack of ability to adapt, which would be more expensive.

If you essentially get all the pensioners pension back, you can afford to provide a safety net to the under 30s.

 

[HotRod]

How about removing the diesel fuel rebate for mining companies? That would free up a fair bit.

Remove negative gearing.

Tighten FBT

Get rid of the proposal for maintaining pay for maternity leave.

Tighten the travel perks and super benefits of former politicians

Remove the amount of junior ministers and committee secretaries, who don't do anything except collect the associated higher salary and super payments

Invest in long term infrastructure, research and education to create a smarter, better trained population that will be able to adapt to a changing economic and social situation, rather than shrugging shoulders and saying "well they can go and work in the mines" when the current phase of development of mines is moving into the production phase, with subsequent job loss.

That said, despite questions of equity, the fuel excise proposal does make sense.

Don't stop there........

Get rid of the Carbon tax.

Get rid of the MRRT.

Because they are impediments to business and have whole government departments to administer for no good reason.

Also:

Broaden the GST base and/or increase the GST.

Get rid of the state based taxes (stamp duty, payroll tax etc)

Increase the tax free threshold to offset the effects of the GST widening/increase for low income earners.

Cut business tax.

I'm of the view that by cutting the business taxes they'll be more people in employment through big business and will lead to more tax revenue for the government then having to be spent on less people out of work.

Taxing business up the wahoo does exactly the opposite.

 

[The Fence]

Cut business tax.

I'm of the view that by cutting the business taxes they'll be more people in employment through big business and will lead to more tax revenue for the government then having to be spent on less people out of work.

Taxing business up the wahoo does exactly the opposite.

Im of the view that this post has kudos written all over it!

Exactly my sentiments too Rod !

 

[MarkB]

I'm of the view that by cutting the business taxes they'll be more people in employment through big business and will lead to more tax revenue for the government then having to be spent on less people out of work.

Tbh, both of the big businesses I have worked for - 2 of the Big 4 *******s - have long been in a job shedding cycle.

Despite making record profit on record profit.

 

[HotRod]

Tbh, both of the big businesses I have worked for - 2 of the Big 4 *******s - have long been in a job shedding cycle.

Despite making record profit on record profit.

And good on them if they can make more with less.

They'd be paying more tax for the privilege.

As property investors we would do the same if possible.

 

[random]

Im of the view that this post has kudos written all over it!

Exactly my sentiments too Rod !

Economists say taxing outa trouble hasn't worked anywhere in the world and our costs and taxes are already double , double - what they should be !
That lowering taxes and all the hidden costs bs extras fires business up and brings in far more revenue and, builds a healthy country.
Obviously anyway but if, you just keep taxing and adding more and more crap a country becomes unworkable which has been happening in Australia for years now and that's why you can't build anything here which will only get worse.
Howard rerun . Rip the guts out of schools, health, throw in dozens of other huge things left, right ,that go straight over average Aussies and wammo .You have the most expensive, over taxed, unworkable country in the world . Can't manufacturer, get trained , go to uni or get a doctor .

They reckon the petrol con alone "before", this next one , was more than enough to build all the roads we need. Except - they only spend not even half of it on our roads. Howard spent "none", of it on roads until he got caught, so wtf are we paying even more now for then ? No surprises !

 

[gooram]

This is an ideological budget. To say you support it, just means you support the ideology behind it, and that you’re not really looking closely enough.
Ignore the hysterical propaganda from Dazz, he does his party no justice, and in all his frothing about the Labor party can not come up with a single word in defense of this budget. It’s all “adults”, “mops” and “mess”.

Granted, there are some practicalities thrown in, such as the fuel excise, but there are some decisions in there that are quite confusing/misguided/deceiptful... you choose.

$7 “co-payment” that doesn’t actually raise any revenue - $2 to the doc, $5 into the “Medical Research” fund 
Which medical research companies will be the recipients of these funds? Surely AmGen won’t be among them, the pharmaceutical that sponsors the Pollie Pedal bike ride?

Temporary debt “levy” that raises insignificant revenue – token gesture to appear to be taxing the rich in order to satisfy the “everyone has to do their bit” mantra?

Ongoing support for the School Chaplains program – additional funds allocated, non-secular welfare workers are no longer eligible. This decision has largely gone unnoticed but perhaps they’re trying to appease the extreme right, while knowing full well it will be scrapped in the high court? Either way it’s an alarming decision.

Higher Education “reforms” – this will do nothing for higher education except to create a rich and powerful lobby group (not unlike the private school lobby) and a cash cow for the govt in all those increased interest bearing loans.

 

[The Fence]

This is an ideological budget. To say you support it, just means you support the ideology behind it, and that you?re not really looking closely enough.

So the same cant be said of Labour budgets when they are in power?

It's time for the clean up and you know it.

Suck it up and get on with your life, I promise it wont kill you.

 

[Arnoldus]

So the same cant be said of Labour budgets when they are in power?

It's time for the clean up and you know it.

Suck it up and get on with your life, I promise it wont kill you.

It seems as though the people turning against the government in the polls are pensioners and families on low/middle incomes with dependant children. These will probably be the same folks that are showered with cash when the time comes to get this government over the line for a 3rd term. Perhaps Abbott will be inspired by Dazz, and deliver such showers of cash via forklift and dumptruck.

 

[Player]

It seems as though the people turning against the government in the polls are pensioners and families on low/middle incomes with dependant children. These will probably be the same folks that are showered with cash when the time comes to get this government over the line for a 3rd term. Perhaps Abbott will be inspired by Dazz, and deliver such showers of cash via forklift and dumptruck.

Might be quicker with one of these..............

 

[Arnoldus]

Might be quicker with one of these..............

If Aus post had bikes like those, I'd be signing up to be a postie with much haste.

 

[The Fence]

Does anyone truly believe that these polls conducted lately, around the budget, are seriously independent, transparent and far dinkum, so soon after the real poll conducted in Sept ?

If the majority of Australian public is that contrary in such a short time over things they were, or should have been, expecting then what the hell were they thinking in Sept?

Noise and fluff, & the socialist students protesters causing grief I see as well.

God help us.

 

[Arnoldus]

Does anyone truly believe that these polls conducted lately, around the budget, are seriously independent, transparent and far dinkum, so soon after the real poll conducted in Sept ?

If the majority of Australian public is that contrary in such a short time over things they were, or should have been, expecting then what the hell were they thinking in Sept?

Noise and fluff, & the socialist students protesters causing grief I see as well.

God help us.

I think they're a reflection of disappointment and a failure of the government to meet some voters expectations. If you voted for the Coalition, then found that this budget put you out of pocket 2-3k (maybe more), then you'd be more inclined to change your vote.

 

[Dazz]

Noise and fluff, & the socialist students protesters causing grief I see as well.

What you are seeing on the news (especially the ABC) is not real, and not representative of people's views.

The student protestors (all 20 of them) on Q&A 2 weeks ago were part of the Socialist Alliance, an ultra left-wing communist group who have no place and no support here in Australia.

The student protestors (all 20 of them....yes, the same ones) who crashed the lecture given by former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella were the same people, all with loud hailers and not interested in debating, just screaming.

Checking to see where these Socialist Alliance people sit amongst the adult population.....in Sept 2013 ;

Adults registered to vote...............14.7 million
Adults who didn't turn up................1.0 million
Adults who turned up to vote.........13.7 million
Informal votes...............................0.8 million
Formal votes................................12.9 million


Two Part preferred basis


Support for Liberals........................6.9 million
Support for Labor...........................6.0 million


Individual Parties

Support for Liberals........................5.3 million
Support for Labor...........................4.3 million
Support for Greens.........................1.1 million
Support for Palmer.........................0.7 million

Support for Socialist Alliance............0.005 million

Yep, what you are seeing on TV protesting are the ideologies of ultra-radical lefties who numbered a miniscule 5,032 in Sept 2013.

Some people who disagree would call those figures above hysterical propaganda. I'd call them documented and stated fact....endorsed by the High Court.

For every single radical protesting clown you see on TV, there is more than a thousand hard working Liberal voters right across the country. Think about it.

 

[impala67]

...For every single radical protesting clown you see on TV, there is more than a thousand hard working Liberal voters right across the country. Think about it.

+1

Agree