Talking Politics

[DavidSSS]

I was once called a terrorist sympathiser on this site and did not report it. I challenged it but did not report it.

The other poster you are referring it repeated it a few weeks when I said something he didn’t like. Again I did not report it. Must have been trolling around the Middle East conflict thread at some stage.

That fella has zero to complain about from any posters imo. He is actually one of the strangest posters I have come across on this site. I couldn’t work out sometimes if he was for real or deliberately taking the *smile*.

Right wingers are such snowflakes.

I have been on a few forums over the years, have never once reported a post. Dish it out, expect it back.

DS

 

[MD Jazz]

Right wingers are such snowflakes.

I have been on a few forums over the years, have never once reported a post. Dish it out, expect it back.

DS

Is there some sort of inflexibility in right wing thinking? Rigid beliefs and an inability to empathise?

Right wing and religious thinking are intertwined IMO. Evidence is often hard to find. So they fall back on faith. Fear of change drives a lot of subsequent behaviour.

 

[Sintiger]

Is there some sort of inflexibility in right wing thinking? Rigid beliefs and an inability to empathise?

Right wing and religious thinking are intertwined IMO. Evidence is often hard to find. So they fall back on faith. Fear of change drives a lot of subsequent behaviour.

Too much discussion these days is hyperbolic, views are at the extreme whatever the side they represent.
The reality is that the world isn’t so black and white of course, there is always room for views that are not so polarised.
What I find now is that those who have an extreme right wing view of the world are less likely to have flexibility in their thinking and of course there is often a denial of science. But I don’t think inflexibility of thinking is unique to them, there are those on the other side who are like that as well.

The part I will never understand is that link between Christianity and extreme right wing views. I don’t get it, I know it is a real thing but I don’t think I will ever understand it. It’s like the crusades, wiping out the infidels.

 

[AngryAnt]

That fella has zero to complain about from any posters imo. He is actually one of the strangest posters I have come across on this site. I couldn’t work out sometimes if he was for real or deliberately taking the *smile*.

I thought he was largely trolling until he sent MD, Ian and me that bizarre DM accusing us of colluding together to bully him.

Too much time on YouTube and alt right sites actually changes how people think.

 

[tigerlove]

No, Chalmers did not remove the low and middle income tax offset, the LNP brought it in but only for a limited time. Now, I reckon they should have kept it, but the reason it ended is because the LNP introduced it for a limited time only. Why did the LNP government not introduce it without an end date? Who knows, maybe they were buying votes at the time.

DS

Not quite, it was part of a transitional 10 year plan originally, it was to be staged and permanent. Not necessarily this instance but this is the problem with our political system, voting is incentivised for short-term benefits. There's no long-term achievements, because long-term goals are quickly snuffed out at a change of government, doesn't matter if it was a good idea, need to make budget space for the new you beaut short-term promises. All our society is interested in is, what will benefit me the soonest if I vote for you. We're all to blame. Left-leaning, right-learning, makes no difference. I learnt a long time ago, don't rely on the government for your financial well-being. Be self-sufficient. No stress.

Extension of the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset (LMITO)

th[align="right"], td[align="right"] { text-align:right !important; } th[align="center"], td[align="center"] { text-align:center !important; } Budget Review 2021–22 Index Phillip Hawkins In the 2021–22 Budget the Government announced that it would retain the Low

www.aph.gov.au

The ‘lamington’: the other tax cut that could be making a comeback

A tax rebate that has been served up before could be back on the menu in Labor’s cost-of-living relief package.

www.afr.com

 

[Sintiger]

this is the problem with our political system, voting is incentivised for short-term benefits. There's no long-term achievements, because long-term goals are quickly snuffed out at a change of government, doesn't matter if it was a good idea, need to make budget space for the new you beaut short-term promises. All our society is interested in is, what will benefit me the soonest if I vote for you. We're all to blame. Left-leaning, right-learning, makes no difference. I learnt a long time ago, don't rely on the government for your financial well-being. Be self-sufficient. No stress.

Yep.

Our tax system is in so much need of reform, we all know it. They may not agree on the detail but there wouldn't be many politicians in Canberra who don't know the need for tax reform. Yet none of the major parties will touch it because they all put being in government before the good of the country.

The way we give our resources away so cheaply to miners, the perverse incentives to create a real estate bubble, the ability to get company tax already paid returned to individuals with cash payments for dividend imputation, the misuse of family trusts and others need long term fixes but get demonised. I know it is all currently legal but it grinds my gears.

 

[eZyT]

Who do these pollsters target? Has anyone here ever been polled?

nope.

I reckon a lot of them would be like the 'poll' of remote aboriginal communities exposed recently,

where they just went around the block at Redfern and said they were in Wilcannia

 

[tigerman]

Not quite, it was part of a transitional 10 year plan originally, it was to be staged and permanent. Not necessarily this instance but this is the problem with our political system, voting is incentivised for short-term benefits. There's no long-term achievements, because long-term goals are quickly snuffed out at a change of government, doesn't matter if it was a good idea, need to make budget space for the new you beaut short-term promises. All our society is interested in is, what will benefit me the soonest if I vote for you. We're all to blame. Left-leaning, right-learning, makes no difference. I learnt a long time ago, don't rely on the government for your financial well-being. Be self-sufficient. No stress.

Extension of the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset (LMITO)

th[align="right"], td[align="right"] { text-align:right !important; } th[align="center"], td[align="center"] { text-align:center !important; } Budget Review 2021–22 Index Phillip Hawkins In the 2021–22 Budget the Government announced that it would retain the Low

www.aph.gov.au

The ‘lamington’: the other tax cut that could be making a comeback

A tax rebate that has been served up before could be back on the menu in Labor’s cost-of-living relief package.

www.afr.com

The low and middle income tax offset was a gimmick by Morrison trying to curry favour when he was Treasurer after his disgraceful Robodebt when he was the Services Minister.

The pointless $1,080 tax break that should have ended years ago – but has become hard to stop

The low and middle income tax offset keeps getting extended because to end it would be to deliver a tax hike. But it was designed for a purpose that no longer exists, writes Peter Martin.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Baloo]

Yep.

Our tax system is in so much need of reform, we all know it. They may not agree on the detail but there wouldn't be many politicians in Canberra who don't know the need for tax reform. Yet none of the major parties will touch it because they all put being in government before the good of the country.

The way we give our resources away so cheaply to miners, the perverse incentives to create a real estate bubble, the ability to get company tax already paid returned to individuals with cash payments for dividend imputation, the misuse of family trusts and others need long term fixes but get demonised. I know it is all currently legal but it grinds my gears.

So many times this. Add in the middle class welfare that Howard brought in and we're stuck with a tax system that is a complete mess. I've worked in few different countries around the world and honestly say the complexity and loop holes in Australia's tax system is unfathomable.

 

[eZyT]

Right wingers are such snowflakes.

I have been on a few forums over the years, have never once reported a post. Dish it out, expect it back.

DS

LNP does all the (losing) defamation litigation;

They believe in free speech, until someone speaks freely about them.

I think its the fact that their ideology doesn't stand up to the lightest scrutiny.

They misinterpret being told they are wrong from multiple angles, as being bullied

and they sue and complain.

 

[Brodders17]

Our tax system is in so much need of reform, we all know it. They may not agree on the detail but there wouldn't be many politicians in Canberra who don't know the need for tax reform. Yet none of the major parties will touch it because they all put being in government before the good of the country.

That's not just entireky the political parties' fault though. There is no point having the best proposed tax system in opposition.
While the major parties could work together for major tax reform, neither party will go it alone because scare campaigns are to easy, the noisy media will support any scare campaign and voters will likely fall for it.

 

[IanG]

i

That's not just entireky the political parties' fault though. There is no point having the best proposed tax system in opposition.
While the major parties could work together for major tax reform, neither party will go it alone because scare campaigns are to easy, the noisy media will support any scare campaign and voters will likely fall for it.

Yep it all comes back to the media not doing their job. If they did their job the politicians would be forced to adopt better policies.

 

[Baloo]

That's not just entireky the political parties' fault though. There is no point having the best proposed tax system in opposition.
While the major parties could work together for major tax reform, neither party will go it alone because scare campaigns are to easy, the noisy media will support any scare campaign and voters will likely fall for it.

2010 the Ken Henry review of our Tax System was published. It makes a lot of sense. But no government, not Rudd's who commissioned the report nor all subsequent governments, had the balls to really implement the changes. Instead picking and choosing popular bits to make is sound like they were doing serious tax reform.

Who can find Henry's paper here: https://treasury.gov.au/review/the-australias-future-tax-system-review/final-report

In summary he came up with the following 9 areas to look at. You can see how trying to implement the recommendations will get all everyone offside. For example, while it raises the tax free threshold, it also recommends just 2 tax brackets.

1. Concentrating revenue raising on four efficient tax bases: personal income, business income, private consumption, and economic rents from natural resources and land. Other taxes may be retained if they serve a specific policy purpose such as discouraging smoking or traffic congestion. Taxes fitting into none of these categories should eventually be abolished.
2. Configuring taxes and transfers to support productivity, participation and growth.
3. An equitable, transparent and simplified personal income tax: a much higher tax-free threshold (around AUD 25,000), only two tax brackets, and a simplification of superannuation, deductions and offsets.
4. A fair, adequate, and work supportive transfer system.
5. Integrating consumption tax compliance with business systems.
6. Efficient land and resource taxation.
7. Completing retirement income reform and securing aged care.
8. Toward more affordable housing: substantially increase rent assistance, gradually move to a uniform land tax and remove transfer taxes (stamp duty), and gradually move to a neutral treatment of rental and owner-occupied housing.
9. A more open, understandable and responsive tax system.

 

[Sintiger]

2010 the Ken Henry review of our Tax System was published. It makes a lot of sense. But no government, not Rudd's who commissioned the report nor all subsequent governments, had the balls to really implement the changes. Instead picking and choosing popular bits to make is sound like they were doing serious tax reform.

Who can find Henry's paper here: https://treasury.gov.au/review/the-australias-future-tax-system-review/final-report

In summary he came up with the following 9 areas to look at. You can see how trying to implement the recommendations will get all everyone offside. For example, while it raises the tax free threshold, it also recommends just 2 tax brackets.

I may be wrong but wasn’t the Henry review part of the tax summit or associated with it? The tax summit was from memory an attempt to get bi-partisan tax reform.

Some of the changes have big impacts on people, I get that, but we can phase them in over time. Changes to things like capital gains, negative gearing and cash refunds for dividend imputation can be phased in to give time to adjust.

We need more independents !!!

 

[tigerlove]

The low and middle income tax offset was a gimmick by Morrison trying to curry favour when he was Treasurer after his disgraceful Robodebt when he was the Services Minister.

The pointless $1,080 tax break that should have ended years ago – but has become hard to stop

The low and middle income tax offset keeps getting extended because to end it would be to deliver a tax hike. But it was designed for a purpose that no longer exists, writes Peter Martin.

www.abc.net.au

The whole system is a gimmick. Left or right it doesn't matter. There's no difference between parties, if you say yes we'll say no. Then gullible, or just lazy, people align themselves as if that party can do no wrong. I have beliefs that sometimes align with a left policy or a right policy or a middle policy. Short-term views, short-term policies, bamdaid solutions get you nowhere. Who's going to implement true long-term reform? No-one, because it's political suicide, the average person doesn't care for that, they just want their quick fix because to them that's what defines success.

 

[AngryAnt]

nope.

I reckon a lot of them would be like the 'poll' of remote aboriginal communities exposed recently,

where they just went around the block at Redfern and said they were in Wilcannia

The problem for pollsters is that no-one under 65 has a landline and most of us dont answer calls to mobile from a number we don't recognise , so they have to apply a whole heap of corrections and algorithms to the data they can get.

For the *smile* data they get I'm surprised they are as accurate as they are.

 

[Baloo]

I may be wrong but wasn’t the Henry review part of the tax summit or associated with it? The tax summit was from memory an attempt to get bi-partisan tax reform.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the commissioning of the report was bipartisan.

Some of the changes have big impacts on people, I get that, but we can phase them in over time. Changes to things like capital gains, negative gearing and cash refunds for dividend imputation can be phased in to give time to adjust.

One of the biggest issues is that the politicians themselves will be impacted as most are real estate investors with trusts.

The boom in property prices made Australian homeowners feel rich. Easy to draw down on the house to buy a new boat, go on a massive holiday, buy that Mercedes SUV that seems to have replaced the Holden Station wagon as the goto family car.

I'm not sure how we get out of this mess we're in with ridiculous property prices without causing some real grief. Property investors have this sense that their investment should never be at risk or depreciate, especially with the over generous government subsidies. Property is one form of investment and it should be treated like other forms where the higher the return, the higher the risk.

 

[Brodders17]

2010 the Ken Henry review of our Tax System was published. It makes a lot of sense. But no government, not Rudd's who commissioned the report nor all subsequent governments, had the balls to really implement the changes. Instead picking and choosing popular bits to make is sound like they were doing serious tax reform.

Who can find Henry's paper here: https://treasury.gov.au/review/the-australias-future-tax-system-review/final-report

In summary he came up with the following 9 areas to look at. You can see how trying to implement the recommendations will get all everyone offside. For example, while it raises the tax free threshold, it also recommends just 2 tax brackets.

Im no tax expert, but i think a big part of the problem is that most changes needed wont indidually create "winners", but most will create "losers", so while the overall system that could be created would be fairer, too many people will look at changes in isolation and see where they will lose out- eg any changes to capital gains, or any sort of inheritance tax or removing GST exemptions.
overall everyone could be better off, but most people will just see the change there doesnt suit there situation and complain.
And yes parts of the media will amplify those complaints.

 

[Baloo]

overall everyone could be better off, but most people will just see the change there doesnt suit there situation and complain.

Agree. Overall it should be better for everyone but there will be losers, primarily those that are maximising the current reliefs, loop holes, grants etc. Property investors would be hit more than most I think. This will get the media frothing at the mouth because there are so many using the property investment perk.

My favorite misreporting is the average income of a property investor. This is so artificially low because it's reported after all the negative gearing and tax credits investors get. A report showing average income without any negative gearing would be more realistic and show that the average property investor does make more than 60k a year

 

[Brodders17]

My favorite misreporting is the average income of a property investor. This is so artificially low because it's reported after all the negative gearing and tax credits investors get. A report showing average income without any negative gearing would be more realistic and show that the average property investor does make more than 60k a year

I would imagine too that reporting just shows the average, so a person on 100k with one $500k investment property gets the same weighting as a person on $2m with $20m invested on property