The tax burden in this country is disproportionately bundled on businesses and high income earners. Every tax debate gets hijacked by whingers wanting someone else to pay for the things in society that they want. And now someone earning $80,000 is rich?

Everyone is ok with tax increases as long as it doesn't affect them.

I say the first dollar you earn should be taxed so that everyone shares the burden. Company tax should be no higher than 20% and the GST should be broadened to all consumer goods (which simplifies the application of GST to small business owners).

And other thing, social security shouldn't be available to people who own their own home (pending that the value of the home exceeding the Asset Test threshold. If you don't think that is an Unpopular opinion you don't know enough people over age of 65.



Edited by vanlassen: 10/5/2016 08:22:30 PM

Karl Stefanovic is hugely overhyped

You would have to define "own".

I dont think it is always best to force people to use all their assets until they are at 0 then start paying. Why shouldnt someone be able to study for example and receive help? In the end it would eventually help the economy. This would force people out of their homes and they could end up paying more.

I think the definition for an owner occupied home is pretty clear. If you would like me to give you specific criteria which is widely used I can, but ...why?

People will give you all sorts of reasons why they don't think the family home should count but at the end of the day, it's just the government subsidising your lifestyle. I'll give you some examples of things I have encountered in my line of work.

1. A husband and wife getting a divorce to have their investment property and their home excluded for the Age Pension Asset test (the wife moved into the investment property).

2. A man refusing to get a reverse mortgage on his home because the Age Pension covered most of his expenses and he wanted to leave his home to his kids.

3. A woman with a $2.2 million property complaining that she was kicked off the pension when she downsized from her $3.2 million property.

4. A couple with "too much in the bank" upsizing their home (they moved closer to the beach) so they can get the Age Pension.

5. A couple refusing to sell their home after moving to a new home because for 12 months their first home would be exempt from the Asset test even though it was being rented out for $1,000 per week.

6. A woman with an indexed annuity income of $130,000 ($35,000 Centrelink assessable) and a million dollar home receive the Age Pension.

I won't lie. I would advise everyone of these people to do exactly what they did because this was the system set for them. I just don't think it is right.

And by the way, if you own a home outright and are looking to Centrelink for Study Allowance, you are a tool. I applaud you but you are a tool. And the government should not pay you a cent.

Edited by vanlassen: 17/5/2016 08:06:33 PM

So if I lose my job, I should be made to spend all my money until I have none left, then sell my house if I cant find a new job in the mean time?

So the people who have been paying tax get nothing back until they are flat broke?

I see no problem with people taking out what is within the rules.

You can downsize your home, take out a reverse mortgage or buy a lifetime right to live in your own home, under Centrelinks grannyflat provisions, thereby handing ownership to a third party (99.9% of the time family) and being entitled to the Age Pension.

This is all keeping in mind that your home is of a value higher than the Asset test cut-off limits (currently around $770,000 for a single person or $1.1 million for a couple) in which case you will have a reasonable sum left over from the sale to sustain a much higher lifestyle than one would be able to afford on the Age Pension alone.

Your other points
If you just lost your job, you should have some superannuation to keep you afloat whilst you look for new work (assuming you are Age Pension age).
Paying tax doesn't entitle you to an Age Pension. You are taking other peoples money to subsidise your own lifestyle.

Question for you: Do you have any understanding about the area of social security beyond NewStart and Study Allowance? You don't seem to have any understanding of Australia's Age Pension/DVA Pension system nor do you seem to understand the circumstances in which someone who fully owns a home in Australia would seek social security. The examples you give are generally reserved for people who do not own homes when they reach Age Pension age.

I personally believe that people who seek an Allowance from Centrelink should not have their family home taken into consideration because they are, in most cases, seeking to improve their life by looking for a job or studying, or caring for someone else. I know in my previous comment I said that people seeking Study Allowance should not be giving funds if they own their own home (value over asset test limit threshold). It was a tongue in cheek comment as people at Age Pension age are not entitled to Allowances (in most cases).

The above just reminded me of some caller on a talk back station saying that her and get partner couldn't have a child because their $160,000 annual income would not allow it and then the flood of middle aged fuckwits called in saying they couldn't afford to heat their houses cause earning $60k each wasnt enough.

Tbh I dont know that much. But like you said good on people for doing it. It is hardly a reason to get upset. I am not jealous of them.

Are you implying that the money be redistributed among others or go to something else?

I dont like that you look at the haves and compare them to the have-nots. I live in a socialist country where they will tear you down at any chance (financially). I even have 22% CGT on my house, so even if I wanted to move to another place at the same value I would have to take a mortgage to get the extra 22%. As for tax, yeah its even worse.

You are kind of saying you want a socialist thingy because you want to rip down people. Its not socialism to give everyone an allowance, but it is to penalize others for success or luck. I am sick of the "Robin Hood" taxes, where all the money from my city goes to paying hillbilly woodsman to sit on their arse in between shooting moose.

It is unfortunate that people go without, but this is a world problem so Australia shouldnt be immune.

Human beings will kill off each other first well and truly, before dramatic climate change

I really don't think you understand what I am saying or you don't understand Socialism.

You are also arguing about a subject in a country you don't know anything about.

;)

Socialism is about everyone getting the same as the bottom guy, not the top guy. It is about bringing people down to the same level, not raising people up.

And you call yourself a Libertarian.

Mate, that sort of talk is unacceptable by any standard. Pull your head in and get a grip. I sometimes forget that the majority of the people on this forum are late teen, early 20's impressionable kids without a clue of what life is like outside their small social bubble.

11.mvfc.11, I challenge you to go back my original 2 posts and create an argument about what you disagree with and what you think my opinion is not considering.

Fun Fact: This is a policy that David Leyonhjelm endorses.

Edited by vanlassen: 18/5/2016 10:40:00 PM

:lol: You'd make a fantastic politician.

what is this outrage culture, outrage porn business?

"I do what I want, bitch. I do what I want"



Edited by condemned666: 19/5/2016 08:59:53 AM

=d>

I fucking hate this socialist policy nonsense whereby anyone with a dollar in their pockets has a target on their back for tax increases.

I'm sick of people bitching because they aren't getting another tax break this year.

I'm sick of people blaming the government because they decided to take drugs and welfare doesn't cover their habit.

I'm sick of this tall poppy syndrome where if you have any sort of wealth and are educated, you're simply meant to shut up and let people 'doing it tough' walk all over every level of government and society.

I'm sick of people who aren't vulnerable or disabled being unable to take care of themselves. Too many people make excuses for people who make shit decisions in life. It's not societies responsibility to be a safety nets for idiots.

What a strange reaction

As for refugees, I though that myth died years ago....

[size=8]Do refugees receive higher Centrelink payments than Age Pensioners?[/size]
LINK

[size=8]Australian Government assistance to refugees: fact v fiction[/size]
LINK

He's not the only one on this forum that has a weird idea of what it means to be a libertarian :lol:

I actually think there's some merit in that policy regarding your home and the pension. I don't think it's fair to make someone sell or reverse mortgage their house that they lived in all their adult lives necessarily but surely the asset test could have a scale so that the longer your name has been on the title (or your spouse if they've passed away) the more valuable your house is allowed to be (maybe unlimited value if the title is 20 years)? I haven't thought this through completely and no doubt there will be some problematic scenarios but it sounds fairer.

Wow what a bunch of angry ants on here. Lets have a look from a rational (and probably unpopular) perspective:

Australia is not highly taxed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenue_as_percentage_of_GDP

We tax 25.8% of our economy. Greece is 30%, USA is 26.9%, UK is 39%, Germany is 40.6%, the OECD average is 34.8%

YAAAAAWWWWNNNN!!!!!

You are sick of things that don't exist.

When have any of those things you list actually happen to you, other than what you see on A Current Affair, or hear listening to Alan Jones.

Pathetic strawman one-liners. Based on emotion, not fact.

Are you 14 years old?

Americanized internet libertarianism.

-PB

:lol:

I don't listen to/watch either.

I know you don't accept it but facebook comments on community pages are a great way to see how people in the community think :)

I fucking love the opinion that unless you're living a lifestyle, you can't comment on it :lol:
Edit: the emotion is based on the comments I see across the internet and talking with people and the frustration that these people expect things to be handed to them.

[/i]

Edited by bethfc: 19/5/2016 10:55:21 AM

It amuses me that if you don't agree 100% with every policy/part of a party/voting structure, you can't identify yourself as that part of that voting structure/party.

What a fucking joke :lol:

They really aren't
They are only representative of a very small sample who just happen to be very loud
Basically the same demographic that 15 years ago WOULD have called talk back radio to complain about the boogy man "du jour".

There's not 100% agreeing and there's being the polar opposite.

With things like community groups, you have wide ranges of opinions as opposed to specific newspapers or forms of media where the respondents are targeted.

If you read shit like the Sky News page, it's full of those nasty left wingers, the ABC full of nasty left wingers. Community groups have the best and worst of both :lol:

You're a fucking lunatic.

Aha yeah I guess there's the loudest idiots from both sides these days. I do tend to find (if we do need to reduce it to sides) the right leaning has more numbers among the loudest idiots with usually a handful of lefty defenders responding to everyone like zealots but anyway.

Somewhere in between all the freaks, purposely avoiding all comments on all forms of media (outside this place obviously)these days, is me.

I don't care how shitty your life is or how much you love to push people anonymously to see how they react, this is too far, man.

At what point among children did this become a flippant acceptable response to someone you don't know voicing an opinion on a forum. Grow up.

You are exactly the type of facebook "commentor" I refer to in my previous post.
You are lucky to have grown up in the internet age let's just say that

EDIT - yes, this response gave you exactly what you crave but maybe just think about that for a second and think about the psychology that motivates that way of thinking. Seriously.

Edited by davide82: 19/5/2016 12:40:12 PM

Stop being such a PC SJW "cuck" Davide82

Sorry I forgot white knight. I'm sure there's some other terms used to silence criticism of their stupidity that I've also forgotten.

Edited by mcjules: 19/5/2016 12:46:31 PM