A KPMG study has suggested that replacing stamp duty with a universal land tax would inject five billion dollars into the New South Wales economy - and create ten thousand new jobs. There is no doubt that stamp duty is a huge hurdle to first home buyers. Now that the median Sydney home price is reaching a million dollars the stamp duty payable is a staggering forty-one thousand dollars, requiring years of extra savings to get into the market.
Land tax already applies to all property valued at more than $ 482,000, but both farmers and owner/occupiers of homes are exempt. This proposal removes what is really a " purchase tax " whenever a property changes hands and replaces it with an annual small tax that applies to every existing home in this state.
Obviously, it would be welcomed by first home buyers, but the people who have paid stamp duty on the home they now live in may not be so enthusiastic. Stamp duty is a one off tax and existing home owners would see no benefit from it's abolition. Replacing it with an annual land tax would be to them a new imposition, similar to the annual rates imposed by their local council. Many people would accuse the state government of " double dipping ", having charged stamp duty on the home they now own and changed the rules mid play to extract a new annual fee.
There is also the danger that such a change may bring a reduction in home values. Often the mortgage loan is padded to fund stamp duty, hence the asking price may decrease - to the detriment of what the seller may expect to receive. It may also create a price disparity between old homes and new constructions. The scarcity and value of land for new buildings will not decrease and without the imposition of stamp duty the gap between old and new may widen. It will be impossible to predict what outcome will emerge in advance of such a change.
Stamp duty is indeed a hoary old chestnut. Probably a reversal to impose it on the seller rather than the buyer might have been an earlier option because it would cause less financial distress by those receiving the value of the property sold than the buyer struggling to put together the deposit needed for purchase. That suggestion failed because of the imbalance implementing it would cause between buyer and seller - at the time of bringing it into use.
Stamp duty - as the name implies - was a clever little tax measure enacted centuries ago in merry olde England - which came to Australia with the first fleet. Like postage, the Crown required the buying of a stamp and having this affixed to official documents of monetary exchange as a form of validation. The rate was quite low but it ensured a steady trickle of funding because of the widespread net it cast.
Today, it exists in a variety of new names. Whenever we buy a new car a tax applies when the vehicle is registered in our name and this is really stamp duty in a different guise. This KPMG study only applies to stamp duty on real estate and there is no plan to abandon its use in the wider economy.
It is also unlikely that this suggestion will proceed to implementation. Making land tax universally payable on all homes would be seen as a new tax and be fiercely resisted. There is also the problem that stamp duty delivers twenty percent of New South Wales tax revenue - and that is $ 8.7 billion.
The Treasurer would think twice before signing away that sort of money.
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Wednesday, 6 April 2016
Financial Bolt Holes !
It used to be so easy ! Swiss banks were legendary for their discretion and the anonymity of numbered bank accounts kept fortunes safe from the prying eyes of tax officials. It all fell apart in the aftermath of the second world war. When Hitler came to power in Germany many Jewish citizens transferred money to Switzerland, only to die in the death camps. Some of the Swiss banks refused access to these accounts by relatives - because they demanded to first see a death certificate.
This wall of silence came crashing down when a security guard discovered records from the war years being prepared for incineration - and the Swiss banks began to cooperate with authorities. World banking disclosure rules came into play, and suddenly a host of small countries scattered across the globe enacted laws that enabled them to become " tax havens " in the eyes of those seeking to minimise tax.
It has become impossible to discover the true owners of " shelf companies " registered in a foreign regime with rigid secrecy laws and many of these are used to launder drug money. They are also bolt holes for those who choose to hide their wealth because the means of acquiring it would not stand scrutiny - and that includes many public figures.
A treasure trove of such secrets has just been revealed when a leak from a highly respected Panama law firm became public property. The records of Mossack Fonseca suddenly appeared on the Internet and they list the banking and wealth holding of kings, presidents, prime ministers, sporting stars and captains of industry. Included are the names of eight hundred Australians, many of who appear regularly in the public realm.
Having an overseas bank account is not proof of illegal activity. In many cases it is quite legitimate and may involved necessary commercial secrecy, but few will welcome this disclosure which leaves it open to public conjecture. It will certainly fuel the rumour mill and embarrass many who lead on the world stage.
If nothing else, it illustrates the near impossibility of maintaining secrecy in this electronic age. Even the full power of sovereign governments have been unable to prevent penetration and the revealing of state secrets. The names " Assange " and " Snowden " strike fear to heads of state, even though they have become pariahs locked away out of reach by their protectors.
The world has been closely following the efforts of the American FBI to persuade Apple to break the secrecy lock of a terrorists I-Phone. Apple resisted, but that request was withdrawn when it was learned that internal FBI teckies had managed to break the lock. It must now be obvious to all users of mobile phones that their secrecy has been compromised. Another barrier has fallen.
In the distant past, industrial spying involved the use of small cameras by spies trained to infiltrate. It was slow and tedious work - with high risk of getting caught. Today a mouse click can send an almost unimaginable amount of data speeding across the Internet - without leaving a trace. It is feared that cyber attacks will become a primary weapon of any new world war.
It seems that the age of absolute reliable secrecy - has ended !
This wall of silence came crashing down when a security guard discovered records from the war years being prepared for incineration - and the Swiss banks began to cooperate with authorities. World banking disclosure rules came into play, and suddenly a host of small countries scattered across the globe enacted laws that enabled them to become " tax havens " in the eyes of those seeking to minimise tax.
It has become impossible to discover the true owners of " shelf companies " registered in a foreign regime with rigid secrecy laws and many of these are used to launder drug money. They are also bolt holes for those who choose to hide their wealth because the means of acquiring it would not stand scrutiny - and that includes many public figures.
A treasure trove of such secrets has just been revealed when a leak from a highly respected Panama law firm became public property. The records of Mossack Fonseca suddenly appeared on the Internet and they list the banking and wealth holding of kings, presidents, prime ministers, sporting stars and captains of industry. Included are the names of eight hundred Australians, many of who appear regularly in the public realm.
Having an overseas bank account is not proof of illegal activity. In many cases it is quite legitimate and may involved necessary commercial secrecy, but few will welcome this disclosure which leaves it open to public conjecture. It will certainly fuel the rumour mill and embarrass many who lead on the world stage.
If nothing else, it illustrates the near impossibility of maintaining secrecy in this electronic age. Even the full power of sovereign governments have been unable to prevent penetration and the revealing of state secrets. The names " Assange " and " Snowden " strike fear to heads of state, even though they have become pariahs locked away out of reach by their protectors.
The world has been closely following the efforts of the American FBI to persuade Apple to break the secrecy lock of a terrorists I-Phone. Apple resisted, but that request was withdrawn when it was learned that internal FBI teckies had managed to break the lock. It must now be obvious to all users of mobile phones that their secrecy has been compromised. Another barrier has fallen.
In the distant past, industrial spying involved the use of small cameras by spies trained to infiltrate. It was slow and tedious work - with high risk of getting caught. Today a mouse click can send an almost unimaginable amount of data speeding across the Internet - without leaving a trace. It is feared that cyber attacks will become a primary weapon of any new world war.
It seems that the age of absolute reliable secrecy - has ended !
Tuesday, 5 April 2016
Closing the Circle !
In the distant past the annual car registration procedure in New South Wales required a visit to a RTA office and these were known for their incredible length of queues - and surly and unhelpful administrative staff. But at least you knew that your vehicle was legally registered when they handed you that all important sticker to afix to the windscreen.
Today, the age of computers have shortened that procedure. When you contact a Green Slip provider online or by phone and pay by credit card your cover is transmitted electronically to the registering authority within seconds. If your vehicle is older than four years you need to visit a registered motor mechanic for a safety check and exactly the same procedure notifies the registering authority. There is now no need to visit an RTA office or stand in a queue because the entire procedure can be concluded with the click of a mouse or a telephone call.
Unfortunately, there is a missing link in this registration process. In this state over four hundred thousand drivers are required by law to have an annual medical check as part of their driving license procedure. This is an automatic requirement for those who reach the age of seventy-five and for others certified as suffering from a range of diseases that include epilepsy, sleep disorders and diabetes.
Those that pass this medical examination by their general practitioner - which includes an eyesight test - are handed their report and have the responsibility of presenting it to the licensing authority. They must either take it to an RTA office or put their trust in the postal system. There is no procedure in place to automatically advise that it has been received and recorded.
Now very welcome moves are underway to link these medical tests to the licensing authority in the same way that green slips and pink slips travel electronically. It is surprising that this has not taken place sooner because all doctors are linked electronically to Medicare and the equipment is already in place to streamline this service.
There is no doubt that this electronic world leaves a niggling doubt in the minds of many elderly car owners and drivers that their requirements have been fully met. In the past, this was given confirmation by the issue of the registration sticker, but now that has been discontinued there is no visible certainty that their vehicle is legally registered. That can be checked by accessing the RTA website and entering the registration plate number, but such a check is not available to those who have yet to gain computer skills.
It is not unknown for car registration and driving licenses to be erroneously cancelled or for SNAFU's in registration to occur. Both registration and medical check confirmation can be easily verified by a simple procedure. The last stage of car registration takes place when the mechanic submits the safety check to the RTA and they confirm that the green slip of compulsory insurance is also in place. All it would take is for an official print out to be handed to the car owner certifying that the car is now registered, which should also be the procedure when a required medical check has been lodged electronically at the doctor's office.
A simple but necessary procedure to prove all correct in this paperless age !
Today, the age of computers have shortened that procedure. When you contact a Green Slip provider online or by phone and pay by credit card your cover is transmitted electronically to the registering authority within seconds. If your vehicle is older than four years you need to visit a registered motor mechanic for a safety check and exactly the same procedure notifies the registering authority. There is now no need to visit an RTA office or stand in a queue because the entire procedure can be concluded with the click of a mouse or a telephone call.
Unfortunately, there is a missing link in this registration process. In this state over four hundred thousand drivers are required by law to have an annual medical check as part of their driving license procedure. This is an automatic requirement for those who reach the age of seventy-five and for others certified as suffering from a range of diseases that include epilepsy, sleep disorders and diabetes.
Those that pass this medical examination by their general practitioner - which includes an eyesight test - are handed their report and have the responsibility of presenting it to the licensing authority. They must either take it to an RTA office or put their trust in the postal system. There is no procedure in place to automatically advise that it has been received and recorded.
Now very welcome moves are underway to link these medical tests to the licensing authority in the same way that green slips and pink slips travel electronically. It is surprising that this has not taken place sooner because all doctors are linked electronically to Medicare and the equipment is already in place to streamline this service.
There is no doubt that this electronic world leaves a niggling doubt in the minds of many elderly car owners and drivers that their requirements have been fully met. In the past, this was given confirmation by the issue of the registration sticker, but now that has been discontinued there is no visible certainty that their vehicle is legally registered. That can be checked by accessing the RTA website and entering the registration plate number, but such a check is not available to those who have yet to gain computer skills.
It is not unknown for car registration and driving licenses to be erroneously cancelled or for SNAFU's in registration to occur. Both registration and medical check confirmation can be easily verified by a simple procedure. The last stage of car registration takes place when the mechanic submits the safety check to the RTA and they confirm that the green slip of compulsory insurance is also in place. All it would take is for an official print out to be handed to the car owner certifying that the car is now registered, which should also be the procedure when a required medical check has been lodged electronically at the doctor's office.
A simple but necessary procedure to prove all correct in this paperless age !
Monday, 4 April 2016
Credentials Needed !
The term "Pub " is simply an abbreviation for "Public House " which is the official name for an establishment that serves liquor and usually welcome all members of the public. In the distant past, its bars and public rooms were strictly segregated. The main bar was "men only " although the beer was usually pulled by pretty barmaids and most establishments had what was called a "Ladies lounge " - with a discreet separate entrance. A patron who imbibed too heavily was "asked to leave "!
After the end of the second world war a strange metamorphose happened in the Pub world. Some began to engage bands to play music for patrons and deliver what they termed " entertainment ". The era of the nightclub had come to Australia - and the price of drinks rose accordingly.
Today is a very different situation. Along with liquor the entertainment scene is rife with drugs and patron misbehaviour has resulted in extreme control measures. Controversial lockout laws are in place and most popular nightspots have introduced scanners. Entrances are staffed with " bouncers " and after midnight plastic drink containers replace glass because a beer glass became be a lethal weapon in the hands of an intoxicated patron. A rash of " glassings " introduced this measure.
We are now seeing a new phenomenon where people are being denied entrance to popular pubs because they can not produce acceptable personal identification - and that means either a passport of a photo drivers license, and this is delivering some strange results.
An aged second world war veteran using a walking frame was turned away from one venue because he was not carrying such a means of identification. A party to celebrate a young man's twenty-first came to a standstill when his aged grandmother - who neither drove a car or had need for any sort of photo ID - was refused entry and turned away.
There is now a timing factor that causes dismay. Usually the need for photo ID comes into play after 9 pm - when this device is turned on. Because smoking is banned inside all enclosed premises it is common for smokers to nip outside to have a cigarette - and one man who did so was refused reentry because he was not carrying his ID. The problem was that his wife was sitting at a table on which their meals had been served - hence the meals were put into " doggy bags ", his wife joined him outside the pub and their glorious night out ended as a fiasco. They hailed a taxi and went home !
Unfortunately, deteriorating patron behaviour has made this ID scanning regime necessary. Dance floor fights have become common and these scanners record both the name and picture of all who enter. In the event of an altercation, the culprit can be quickly identified and a common restriction of that person from all entertainment centres is coming into play. Serial offenders simply find that no venue will grant them entry.
At this stage scanners are only in use in popular, high volume pubs in recognised " entertainment " districts but if troublemakers disperse to the suburbs it seems certain that these control measures will inevitably follow. It seems that the custom of many people to " drop in " to the local Pub on the way home for a convivial cooling beer is about to change. There will be no way past that inviting doorway - without photo ID !
After the end of the second world war a strange metamorphose happened in the Pub world. Some began to engage bands to play music for patrons and deliver what they termed " entertainment ". The era of the nightclub had come to Australia - and the price of drinks rose accordingly.
Today is a very different situation. Along with liquor the entertainment scene is rife with drugs and patron misbehaviour has resulted in extreme control measures. Controversial lockout laws are in place and most popular nightspots have introduced scanners. Entrances are staffed with " bouncers " and after midnight plastic drink containers replace glass because a beer glass became be a lethal weapon in the hands of an intoxicated patron. A rash of " glassings " introduced this measure.
We are now seeing a new phenomenon where people are being denied entrance to popular pubs because they can not produce acceptable personal identification - and that means either a passport of a photo drivers license, and this is delivering some strange results.
An aged second world war veteran using a walking frame was turned away from one venue because he was not carrying such a means of identification. A party to celebrate a young man's twenty-first came to a standstill when his aged grandmother - who neither drove a car or had need for any sort of photo ID - was refused entry and turned away.
There is now a timing factor that causes dismay. Usually the need for photo ID comes into play after 9 pm - when this device is turned on. Because smoking is banned inside all enclosed premises it is common for smokers to nip outside to have a cigarette - and one man who did so was refused reentry because he was not carrying his ID. The problem was that his wife was sitting at a table on which their meals had been served - hence the meals were put into " doggy bags ", his wife joined him outside the pub and their glorious night out ended as a fiasco. They hailed a taxi and went home !
Unfortunately, deteriorating patron behaviour has made this ID scanning regime necessary. Dance floor fights have become common and these scanners record both the name and picture of all who enter. In the event of an altercation, the culprit can be quickly identified and a common restriction of that person from all entertainment centres is coming into play. Serial offenders simply find that no venue will grant them entry.
At this stage scanners are only in use in popular, high volume pubs in recognised " entertainment " districts but if troublemakers disperse to the suburbs it seems certain that these control measures will inevitably follow. It seems that the custom of many people to " drop in " to the local Pub on the way home for a convivial cooling beer is about to change. There will be no way past that inviting doorway - without photo ID !
Sunday, 3 April 2016
The Enigmatic Xi Jinping !
The waters of the South China Sea serve the commercial interests of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam directly and are a vital shipping route for the rest of the world. The fact that China has laid claim to submerged reefs and rocks and is actively dredging to create artificial islands is a concern because it ignores the universally accepted law of the sea.
Now a military presence has been established with missiles and radar installations and it seems that Chinese hegemony has been further extended. The Chinese claim in the South China Sea rests on what they call the "Nine Dash Line " and the Natuna islands - owned by Indonesia - fall outside of that claim. Recently a Chinese fishing boat was detected illegally fishing inside the Indonesian twelve mile territorial zone and was arrested by an Indonesian customs vessel. As it was being towed to port, a Chinese naval vessel rammed the custom vessel and China is demanding the fishermen be released - because it claims these waters are "traditional Chinese fishing grounds ".
It seems to be a Chinese territorial claim that encompasses a world ocean and the airspace above it and that is not recognised by any world body, including the United Nations. That does raise the question of just what are China's intentions. Will China demand the right to grant or deny access to ships that travel through the South China Sea or aircraft that fly above it ? Will it back that right of ownership with military force ?
Xi Jinping has accumulated power to the point where his will is paramount in China. He is an enigma because he is playing his cards close to his chest. He recently gathered the commanders of the People's Liberation Army ( PLA ) and made it clear that their prime mission was not to guard China as a country, but to ensure that the Chinese Communist party remained it's government.
The Chinese economy is reaching a critical point in it's development. The manufacturing boom years lifted many out of poverty but now it is moving towards a consumer model and there has been a drift from the villages to the cities. Vast numbers of SOE's - State Owned Enterprises - are monoliths of a distant age, but to reform them will create a pool of unemployed. There is a danger of mass unrest and the Communist state will react with force to any challenge to it's control.
The history books relate what happened in the past when supreme power rested in the hands of one person. When Adolph Hitler became the dictator in Germany it was quite clear that his aim was world domination. Strong leaders in past centuries led their armies on a rampage across Europe, but the end of the second world war brought with it the nuclear age - and the sheer horror of the level of destruction that poses has since prevented world war three.
Lenin's dream of world revolution installing Communist regimes seems to have died with the implosion of the Soviet Union. Neither Communism in either China or Vietnam seem interested in exporting that style of government to other countries, but both put down dissent with a firm hand.
If Xi Jinping is not interested in world military domination, what is the purpose of seeking dominion over the South China Sea ?
China seems to be playing the waiting game over two major irritants. It claims Taiwan as a renegade province but has retreated from earlier threats to invade, and the "One country, two systems " deal with Hong Kong expires in 2147.
It now seems clear that whatever course China takes will originate from the mind of Xi Jinping. The danger will come if the transition from a manufacturing economy to a consumer model goes awry because the Communist upbringing lacks the knowledge skills to manage this western model of commerce.
It would be tempting to artificially create an external threat and invoke nationalism to keep a restless population under control - and an incident in the South China Sea could easily spin out of control and start a shooting war. Let us hope that Xi Jinping's mind is up to the task of successfully turning China into a prosperous trading nation !
Now a military presence has been established with missiles and radar installations and it seems that Chinese hegemony has been further extended. The Chinese claim in the South China Sea rests on what they call the "Nine Dash Line " and the Natuna islands - owned by Indonesia - fall outside of that claim. Recently a Chinese fishing boat was detected illegally fishing inside the Indonesian twelve mile territorial zone and was arrested by an Indonesian customs vessel. As it was being towed to port, a Chinese naval vessel rammed the custom vessel and China is demanding the fishermen be released - because it claims these waters are "traditional Chinese fishing grounds ".
It seems to be a Chinese territorial claim that encompasses a world ocean and the airspace above it and that is not recognised by any world body, including the United Nations. That does raise the question of just what are China's intentions. Will China demand the right to grant or deny access to ships that travel through the South China Sea or aircraft that fly above it ? Will it back that right of ownership with military force ?
Xi Jinping has accumulated power to the point where his will is paramount in China. He is an enigma because he is playing his cards close to his chest. He recently gathered the commanders of the People's Liberation Army ( PLA ) and made it clear that their prime mission was not to guard China as a country, but to ensure that the Chinese Communist party remained it's government.
The Chinese economy is reaching a critical point in it's development. The manufacturing boom years lifted many out of poverty but now it is moving towards a consumer model and there has been a drift from the villages to the cities. Vast numbers of SOE's - State Owned Enterprises - are monoliths of a distant age, but to reform them will create a pool of unemployed. There is a danger of mass unrest and the Communist state will react with force to any challenge to it's control.
The history books relate what happened in the past when supreme power rested in the hands of one person. When Adolph Hitler became the dictator in Germany it was quite clear that his aim was world domination. Strong leaders in past centuries led their armies on a rampage across Europe, but the end of the second world war brought with it the nuclear age - and the sheer horror of the level of destruction that poses has since prevented world war three.
Lenin's dream of world revolution installing Communist regimes seems to have died with the implosion of the Soviet Union. Neither Communism in either China or Vietnam seem interested in exporting that style of government to other countries, but both put down dissent with a firm hand.
If Xi Jinping is not interested in world military domination, what is the purpose of seeking dominion over the South China Sea ?
China seems to be playing the waiting game over two major irritants. It claims Taiwan as a renegade province but has retreated from earlier threats to invade, and the "One country, two systems " deal with Hong Kong expires in 2147.
It now seems clear that whatever course China takes will originate from the mind of Xi Jinping. The danger will come if the transition from a manufacturing economy to a consumer model goes awry because the Communist upbringing lacks the knowledge skills to manage this western model of commerce.
It would be tempting to artificially create an external threat and invoke nationalism to keep a restless population under control - and an incident in the South China Sea could easily spin out of control and start a shooting war. Let us hope that Xi Jinping's mind is up to the task of successfully turning China into a prosperous trading nation !
Saturday, 2 April 2016
" Legal " Warnings !
Back in the days when the government first introduced "Booze Buses " it was common for drivers to flash their headlights to warn others that an alcohol check lay ahead. That actually breached a state law but it was rare for police to lay a charge. Today the random breath test is so common that light flashing seems reserved for warning of a mobile roadside speed camera.
What is surprising is that Facebook has a service supplied by one of the Greens elected members of parliament that gives notice of where police will be using sniffer dogs to detect people carrying drugs. It has the approval of 11,000 members of the public who have ticked the "like " box to give their assent. The Greens consider public screening by using canines to be an "affront to human rights " and want it banned.
Probably the greatest area of dispute over "human rights " has been the control measures on the sale and consumption of alcohol. We well remember the assault on human dignity when the law decreed that the serving of all alcohol would cease on the dot of six pm - Monday to Saturday, which resulted in the nefarious "Six O'Çlock Swill ". Swarms of patrons on the footpath outside hotels with as many glasses of beer that they could carry when the door slammed shut at six.
The pubs were not permitted to open on Sundays, but a curious "tourist " provision allowed a traveller to be served alcohol provided they were twenty miles from wherever they had slept the previous night. Hotels that met that criteria outside the city did a roaring Sunday business - and of course those "travellers "were city car drivers and their passengers. It was very unhelpful from a safety point of view.
That was an era when it was almost impossible to get a license to serve alcohol in a restaurant or cafe. Australians travelling overseas were astonished at the Continental custom of a glass of wine with a meal available at almost all eateries. Alcohol in Australia was under such heavy censure that it almost verged on prohibition.
When the alcohol laws were relaxed it seems that the pendulum swung the wrong way. We almost embraced twenty-four hour trading and it was abused by many. Draconian restrictions now apply and once vibrant night spots have become ghostly quiet. The crowds have dissipated to more scattered venues and Sydney night life seems more orderly.
Now another irksome restriction is under review. Sydney harbour hosts one of the world's most watched new year fireworks display and vast crowds line the parks and beaches to watch this spectacle. Often, people queue almost a day ahead to choose a preferred vantage point and many bring food and alcohol to sustain them during their vigil - and some abuse the quantity consumed. There now seems an almost total ban on any alcohol on Sydney's parks and beaches.
That ban is now under review. It is argued that the majority of people behaving sensibly and enjoying a picnic atmosphere that involves the moderate use of alcohol should not be put under curfew because of the excesses of a few other people. There are laws that control that overuse and these should be applied to remove offenders.
Relaxation is being strongly opposed by both the police and the usual "Wowser " element and it is claimed that patrons will use this facility to "pre-load " with cheap liquor shop alcohol before going on to imbibe the expensive drinks available at entertainment venues. Once again the liberty of the law abiding many suffer restrictions because of the actions of a tiny minority.
Some will wonder why the rest of the world seems to control such excesses while here in Australia the only answer seems to be a heavy handed prohibition. Our parks and beaches are there for our use and relaxation all year and not only on new year's eve. Surely a glass of alcohol with a picnic meal should not be out of the question on all occasions in this country !
What is surprising is that Facebook has a service supplied by one of the Greens elected members of parliament that gives notice of where police will be using sniffer dogs to detect people carrying drugs. It has the approval of 11,000 members of the public who have ticked the "like " box to give their assent. The Greens consider public screening by using canines to be an "affront to human rights " and want it banned.
Probably the greatest area of dispute over "human rights " has been the control measures on the sale and consumption of alcohol. We well remember the assault on human dignity when the law decreed that the serving of all alcohol would cease on the dot of six pm - Monday to Saturday, which resulted in the nefarious "Six O'Çlock Swill ". Swarms of patrons on the footpath outside hotels with as many glasses of beer that they could carry when the door slammed shut at six.
The pubs were not permitted to open on Sundays, but a curious "tourist " provision allowed a traveller to be served alcohol provided they were twenty miles from wherever they had slept the previous night. Hotels that met that criteria outside the city did a roaring Sunday business - and of course those "travellers "were city car drivers and their passengers. It was very unhelpful from a safety point of view.
That was an era when it was almost impossible to get a license to serve alcohol in a restaurant or cafe. Australians travelling overseas were astonished at the Continental custom of a glass of wine with a meal available at almost all eateries. Alcohol in Australia was under such heavy censure that it almost verged on prohibition.
When the alcohol laws were relaxed it seems that the pendulum swung the wrong way. We almost embraced twenty-four hour trading and it was abused by many. Draconian restrictions now apply and once vibrant night spots have become ghostly quiet. The crowds have dissipated to more scattered venues and Sydney night life seems more orderly.
Now another irksome restriction is under review. Sydney harbour hosts one of the world's most watched new year fireworks display and vast crowds line the parks and beaches to watch this spectacle. Often, people queue almost a day ahead to choose a preferred vantage point and many bring food and alcohol to sustain them during their vigil - and some abuse the quantity consumed. There now seems an almost total ban on any alcohol on Sydney's parks and beaches.
That ban is now under review. It is argued that the majority of people behaving sensibly and enjoying a picnic atmosphere that involves the moderate use of alcohol should not be put under curfew because of the excesses of a few other people. There are laws that control that overuse and these should be applied to remove offenders.
Relaxation is being strongly opposed by both the police and the usual "Wowser " element and it is claimed that patrons will use this facility to "pre-load " with cheap liquor shop alcohol before going on to imbibe the expensive drinks available at entertainment venues. Once again the liberty of the law abiding many suffer restrictions because of the actions of a tiny minority.
Some will wonder why the rest of the world seems to control such excesses while here in Australia the only answer seems to be a heavy handed prohibition. Our parks and beaches are there for our use and relaxation all year and not only on new year's eve. Surely a glass of alcohol with a picnic meal should not be out of the question on all occasions in this country !
Friday, 1 April 2016
The Blame Game !
Malcolm Turnbull's offer to allow the states to levy their own income tax must strike sheer terror into the hearts of state premiers. It has been very comfortable to be able to blame any shortfall in state funds on Canberra. The fact that the Commonwealth collects income tax and disburses it to the states by way of grants shields the states from responsibility from their main source of income.
The proposed new tax plan also delivers a huge benefit to the Federal Treasury. The two biggest problem outlays are Health and Education and obviously Canberra hopes to withdraw from both and make the states responsible for collecting their own finances. Many economists see Health and Education as the bottomless pits that will never be successfully financed unless crippling tax rates are imposed on taxpayers.
Turnbull claims that this measure will be tax neutral. The Federal government will reduce it's tax scales to the extent that the slack will be taken up by those imposed by each state - and that sounds like the thimble and pea trick - writ large ! If the taxpayers are not delivering more money the same problems that exist with Health and Education will be unchanged.
State income taxes were a part of the system before the second world war. To revert to the old system will see the creation of state bureaucracies to handle it's collection - and the end of a common rate of income tax across this entire nation. That opens up an interesting can of worms. Obviously, smaller states with low population numbers would be at a disadvantage. Poaching people and giving a tax incentive to move to a bigger state could hollow out the weaker states and simply add to the suburban sprawl of Sydney and Melbourne.
No matter how the politicians on each side of the political divide strut and caper with ways of carving up the economy, reality decrees that we need to put more money into the communal pot if we are to achieve a decent health, education and welfare system. The divisive point is that every individual wants that contribution to come from someone elses pocket.
The Australian public are a lot wiser than they are given credit for. We have seen governments from both sides of politics tipped out of office when their grasp of governing have not been up to scratch and when it comes to putting a mark on a voting paper the broad mass of the people seem very capable of evaluating the situation - and making a wise decision.
Despite the hysteria from vested interests and the sheer hypocrisy of partisan politics middle Australia seems ready to accept some form of additional taxation to fund both our health and education systems. The form that seemed to meet the right criteria was the plan to move the GST from ten to fifteen percent, but that quickly became untenable due to the strange balance of power in the Senate.
The wisdom of the Australian people was vindicated when John Howard won an election on the basis of introducing a new tax - and which saw the implementation of the GST. Just as pensioners and the lowly paid were compensated then, it would be expected that similar treatment would occur if the rate was changed now. Unfortunately, a golden opportunity seems to have been lost.
The voters will show their displeasure if the government continues to vacillate and continually change it's mind. Even unpopular decisions are given respect - if they are presented in an acceptable form !
The proposed new tax plan also delivers a huge benefit to the Federal Treasury. The two biggest problem outlays are Health and Education and obviously Canberra hopes to withdraw from both and make the states responsible for collecting their own finances. Many economists see Health and Education as the bottomless pits that will never be successfully financed unless crippling tax rates are imposed on taxpayers.
Turnbull claims that this measure will be tax neutral. The Federal government will reduce it's tax scales to the extent that the slack will be taken up by those imposed by each state - and that sounds like the thimble and pea trick - writ large ! If the taxpayers are not delivering more money the same problems that exist with Health and Education will be unchanged.
State income taxes were a part of the system before the second world war. To revert to the old system will see the creation of state bureaucracies to handle it's collection - and the end of a common rate of income tax across this entire nation. That opens up an interesting can of worms. Obviously, smaller states with low population numbers would be at a disadvantage. Poaching people and giving a tax incentive to move to a bigger state could hollow out the weaker states and simply add to the suburban sprawl of Sydney and Melbourne.
No matter how the politicians on each side of the political divide strut and caper with ways of carving up the economy, reality decrees that we need to put more money into the communal pot if we are to achieve a decent health, education and welfare system. The divisive point is that every individual wants that contribution to come from someone elses pocket.
The Australian public are a lot wiser than they are given credit for. We have seen governments from both sides of politics tipped out of office when their grasp of governing have not been up to scratch and when it comes to putting a mark on a voting paper the broad mass of the people seem very capable of evaluating the situation - and making a wise decision.
Despite the hysteria from vested interests and the sheer hypocrisy of partisan politics middle Australia seems ready to accept some form of additional taxation to fund both our health and education systems. The form that seemed to meet the right criteria was the plan to move the GST from ten to fifteen percent, but that quickly became untenable due to the strange balance of power in the Senate.
The wisdom of the Australian people was vindicated when John Howard won an election on the basis of introducing a new tax - and which saw the implementation of the GST. Just as pensioners and the lowly paid were compensated then, it would be expected that similar treatment would occur if the rate was changed now. Unfortunately, a golden opportunity seems to have been lost.
The voters will show their displeasure if the government continues to vacillate and continually change it's mind. Even unpopular decisions are given respect - if they are presented in an acceptable form !
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