And with quotes like this, you can see how the fear mongering of the Wilfully Ignorant Party works.
Not surprising, since psychological & neurological research shows that right wingers are inherently more fearful people.

With naive comments like this about academia and peer review, I would welcome the research....derp :lol:

That's definitely true for some members of the Labor party but selling out principles to win an election is a tactic I don't like. Of course the Libs do that far more regularly but that's beside the point.

I just saw Albanese on Lateline and when the questions about what Labor are going to do about Asylum Seekers was raised it was an absolute train wreck. It was never going to be anything else because he had to walk the tightrope of not criticising their policy but try and make it look like they were going to be more "compassionate" for his highly progressive electorate.

We are taxed less than the OECD average mate. Please show me something to indicate this is not true.

You throw around grand generalisations like "we are very highly taxed" and "our government is inefficient", without providing any basis for this.

When I point out that tax as a % of GDP is lower than the OECD average, you say that somehow this is because of a "distortion" due to having high GDP per capita, even though other countries with similar GDP per capita numbers tax a higher proportion of the economy than we do.

Then you say that you are only looking at personal income tax, and as evidence post an article which shows Australia at 17th out of 25 listed countries.

You go on about expenditure and give us motherhood statements essentially saying "increasing debt is bad" - well thank you Sherlock Holmes, what a meaningful statement.

You provide no context in your statements. How about the fact that we have the lowest level of debt by far of the major industrialised nations? Less than 20% of GDP vs 80-100% in comparable economies?

As I am stating for the umpteenth time - we have a revenue problem due to the decline in mining royalties, and the narrowing of the tax base due to the goodies Howard gave away in his last 2 terms. This is gradually being addressed, and has been addressed by both sides when they were in govt (eg getting rid of some of the Family Tax benefits - alp, reducing beneficial taxation rates for super - Libs).

We do have a medium-long term expenditure issue, but this is also being addressed with things like increasing the retirement age, closing loopholes.

What we most certainly DO NOT have is a short term budget issue. Our economy is slowing, hence the RBA reducing interest rates last month.

If anything, with interest rates so low, the govt should be spending more on infrastructure like the NBN to increase the productive capacity of the economy.

Debt in and of itself is not bad. It is dependent on how the debt was accrued and how it is used. If we were in deficit just to fund day-to-day spending then that is a problem, if we increase debt to fund infrastructure you are increasing the capacity to pay that debt.

Your arguments are simplistic and inaccurate. You need a more nuanced understanding of how government, and economics, works.

If you get a chance, watch 7.30 from last night. Penny Wong mentioned how there was a form of agonising over the issue of boat turn-backs at one of their conferences around the time the issue was hotter.
I don't endorse it, I am just pointing out that it wasn't a callous decision on Labor's behalf, per se.

There was a guy on Q&A last night who was the head of The Australian Industry Group who said we are in fact the second highest taxed nation within the OECD.

I believe he was referring to Company Tax.

He made it clear that this has negative effects on foreign investment into Australia, and consequently jobs.

As for personal income tax, he also said that Australian Workers were highly taxed as well.

It's completely true though. Even with the company tax cuts proposed by Turnbull, we will still continue to be the second highest taxing nation relative to GDP among the OECD.

I think Labor party playing gutter politics game by running crass ads attacking the "budget for millionaires" is going to undo their election chances. As long as the Liberal don't stoop to this low level of hyperbolic filth I think they will win.

Cheers. You've exemplified the right wing mindset which goes as such:
"Malcolm Turnbull was a 'successful' investment banker, so therefore he will make a great prime minister"...

Gotta say I was surprised by how sharp Adam Bandt's wit was (last night on Q&A)
And he was pretty deadpan too! Some real zingers.

Even with the company tax cuts proposed by Turnbull, we will still continue to be the second highest taxing nation relative to GDP among the OECD.

I know he is a business lobby group.

And at the same time, no one could argue any of the points he raised because they were correct. The ALP and Greens just accepted it.

Yes it is true.

And I hope you're correct. I've got a lot riding on this election. If the LNP lose, then I am going to wind back my business interests significantly. Too much at stake and a lot of uncertainty thanks to Shorten. Negative gearing is going to be the biggest post war train wreck Australia has seen in the post war period.

Edited by Aikhme: 10/5/2016 04:38:43 PM

I didn't watch Q&A, so I can't comment on that. But he is wrong to say we are taxed 2nd highest in the OECD. That is only true if you just look at headline company tax rates. He is ignoring the healthcare contributions and social security contributions companies pay overseas, that they do not pay here.

No he is correct to say we are second in terms of company tax.

The ALP/Greens also agreed that was the case.

Not in terms of total tax revenue as a % of GDP we aren't. We are below the OECD average.

It seems that your argument is more one of tax mix vs overall taxation levels.

Edited by AzzaMarch: 10/5/2016 04:47:14 PM

Once again, we also have the highest GDP per capita and that reduces the %.