The Australian reports this morning:
“Tony Abbott is under pressure to confirm an undertaking by senior frontbencher Christopher Pyne that he would never raise the GST in government.”
There you have it: everything you hate about politics and the media cycle in a single sentence.
An opposition that says it’s serious about addressing structural issues in tax revenue collection but already ruling out what its review would quite likely recommend; a government that forced the opposition into doing it for cheap political points, inciting fear rather than admitting any responsible government will have to consider lifting the rate of the GST in the future. A frontbencher who says one thing; a leader who must immediately defend it amid cries of division from desperate opponents.
This is why we can’t have proper political debate in this country. This here.
You’re all guilty. And you’re giant babies, the lot of you.
[any responsible government will have to consider lifting the rate of the GST in the future.]
Really Crikey?
Raise the GST?
A regressive,lazy, flat tax that impacts the poor far more than the rich.
A nice “simple” solution to a complex problem.
Utter BS.
I think there’s merit to applying GST to everything and then increasing welfare to ensure that the poor aren’t worse off. I can’t see increasing the GST rate as being something that ought to be a priority until we have at least removed the worst of the tax perks. But I imagine the fearmongering would be so much worse were someone to propose removing negative gearing and capital gains concessions.
I agree with paddy. Increasing or broadening the gst should be ruled out because it is so regressive. Try taxing land properly as Henry recommended.
And ending the tax lurk for family trusts, as even the Liberals contemplated. It wouldn’t be more or more credible fearmongering, but fearmongering by more rich and powerful, and therefore a harder target than the biggest losers of an increased gst.
There are so many other options it is not funny. Good on Labor for getting down and dirty and beating up a scare campaign. For the LNP a dose of their own medicine at last. Probably won’t work, but anyone with any nous is desperate.
Anyone but Abbott.