Politics? Phooey
I am rarely even to be found commenting on the subject of politics, but of late I am rather perplexed by the state of the leadership of the country concerning the proposed Carbon Tax.
To address that the government is already saying it will be able to subsidise middle and low income families from the effects of the tax increase by giving a rebate of up to $250 back to families struggling under the tax.
A carbon tax is an environmental tax that is levied on the carbon content of fuels. Carbon taxes offer a potentially cost-effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. From an economic perspective, carbon taxes are a type of Pigovian tax. They help to address the problem of emitters of greenhouse gases not facing the full (social) costs of their actions. Carbon taxes are a regressive tax, in that they disproportionately affect low-income groups.In other words, the carbon tax is designed to charge (penalise) industrial consumers of electricity, coal and other forms of energy in a bid to make industry more responsible toward the environment, and thus contribute to a cleaner world. The government KNOWS that the big end of town and industry will pass ALL of their new found charges upon the very people who use electricity, fuel and other items....US!!(wikipedia)
To address that the government is already saying it will be able to subsidise middle and low income families from the effects of the tax increase by giving a rebate of up to $250 back to families struggling under the tax.
On the surface that seems great.
But hang on a minute, if they are going to GIVE us $250 back, how much more are they going to get us to PAY? NO-ONE is saying and the government is claiming nobody yet knows. Rubbish!! For government to know they can offset a $250 rebate they know they are charging much more, and to boot they are saying that it will not be capped, meaning it can go up as often as the CPI index or more!
Is it me or are there not enough opposition parliamentary leaders, industry analysts or Journalists pointing this out to people 'til they're blue in the face? The clarity of this dissemination of information is election losing and winning material.
I think that Australia, with all of its strength and charisma is leading a charge way too early and is in at least a global effect, meeting a forest fire with a water pistol. Of course then, the argument holds true that we cannot sit idly by and do nothing.
But hang on a minute, if they are going to GIVE us $250 back, how much more are they going to get us to PAY? NO-ONE is saying and the government is claiming nobody yet knows. Rubbish!! For government to know they can offset a $250 rebate they know they are charging much more, and to boot they are saying that it will not be capped, meaning it can go up as often as the CPI index or more!
Is it me or are there not enough opposition parliamentary leaders, industry analysts or Journalists pointing this out to people 'til they're blue in the face? The clarity of this dissemination of information is election losing and winning material.
I think that Australia, with all of its strength and charisma is leading a charge way too early and is in at least a global effect, meeting a forest fire with a water pistol. Of course then, the argument holds true that we cannot sit idly by and do nothing.
Whatever tax the government brings in, whatever environmental responsible measures are taken, it will never address or cajole the biggest users of fuel and greenhouse gasses in the world like India, China, Indonesia, the USA or Europe to come and join us in making a greener world. Oh, they may offer some lip service and pat us on the back, but they are thinking to get an economic advantage over us.
Make no mistake, I care about the future for children and the successive generations, but a long term view needs to take a long time to weigh up and truly consider all the options. Look at the Queensland Governments myopic view to rid Northern Queensland of a pest, and they introduced a cane toad, which fixed the initial problem and then steadily started creating a much bigger problem for the Australian native flora and fauna which is still unfolding, having found that the cane toad actually loved the conditions and is now spreading around the whole of Australia.
A cynical part of me thinks that some of the more developed nations are applauding Australia's initiative because they know already that when our tax is introduced, and industry is charged more, that many will go offshore, and that our exports will become more expensive and that these other aforementioned countries stand to reap some big rewards and markets when we fail to remain as attractive or competitive.
The Government is not willing to take the subject to the actual people of the country to vote on they simply want to push it through NOW.
I cannot help but ask the simplest of questions....Why?
A cynical part of me thinks that some of the more developed nations are applauding Australia's initiative because they know already that when our tax is introduced, and industry is charged more, that many will go offshore, and that our exports will become more expensive and that these other aforementioned countries stand to reap some big rewards and markets when we fail to remain as attractive or competitive.
The Government is not willing to take the subject to the actual people of the country to vote on they simply want to push it through NOW.
I cannot help but ask the simplest of questions....Why?
What's in in it for them or even for us as constituents of the nation? Who stands to gain from this?
Why does a mandate poor government want to push hard on a tax that they know will injure us economically at a time when we will be leading the world in an initiative that will injure us for some time to come, when the very people they are charged to serve will not benefit in the short to medium term.
We have a female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard at the helm of the country, which I incidentally applaud BECAUSE it is a woman, however she and the Australian Labour party hold the slimmest of margins to lead and rule the country and yet she and the party seem extraordinarily focussed on pushing thru the carbon tax which is both unpopular and unwanted, despite going to the last election actually saying; "There will be NO Carbon Tax under a government I lead".
Why does a mandate poor government want to push hard on a tax that they know will injure us economically at a time when we will be leading the world in an initiative that will injure us for some time to come, when the very people they are charged to serve will not benefit in the short to medium term.
We have a female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard at the helm of the country, which I incidentally applaud BECAUSE it is a woman, however she and the Australian Labour party hold the slimmest of margins to lead and rule the country and yet she and the party seem extraordinarily focussed on pushing thru the carbon tax which is both unpopular and unwanted, despite going to the last election actually saying; "There will be NO Carbon Tax under a government I lead".
After denying she said that, and then acknowledging it on radio, the PR machine was in overdrive bringing out a former Prime Minister Bob Hawke recently to support this gaf to which he added words to the effect that a good leader changes to meet the prevailing conditions.
Perhaps, but when do we believe the words of a candidate who claims to be telling the truth, and not believe the words of a Prime Minister who is changing to meet the prevailing conditions of their own creation?
If these changes are so pivotal to the future health of the world and the betterment of future generations, let us give the discussions and merits of such a tax to be debated freely and voted on over a long period of time examining all the issues before we take the plunge. We deserve that.
If these changes are so pivotal to the future health of the world and the betterment of future generations, let us give the discussions and merits of such a tax to be debated freely and voted on over a long period of time examining all the issues before we take the plunge. We deserve that.
Australia, I am standing in it, I am voting in it and getting short changed at present.
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