Flood Levy
#61
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,809
Re: Flood Levy - Enjoy your tax rise
That really is pushing it, I agree.
#62
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Flood Levy - Enjoy your tax rise
They gave us free bus travel for a week, while there were only limited buses cos of the floods. When they started charging again they promptly put the fares up
Telstra in Brisbane today told me I can't buy a top-up voucher for the internet cos of the flood and no less than 25 chemists have informed me there are no antihistamines left in the city....because of the flooding. I suggested to the last one that maybe they should try a different supplier, she told me that means getting the tablets from OUTSIDE QUEENSLAND :curse: I told her I wouldn't care if they came from Antarctica as long as I could get something to stop me sneezing, but she didn't get the point Th same pharmacy wouldn't sell me Nurofen either but this tine it wasn't cos of the flood but because I don't drive! Two passports not sufficient ID, it had to be a driving licence cos the only box on the form said driving licence number.....WTF!
Oh and Coles has run out of tomatoes and milk again.......due to the flood, good thing I won;t have any spare cash, there's nothing to spend it on
However, the good news is that the Eagle Street Pig n Whistle re-opens tonight
Telstra in Brisbane today told me I can't buy a top-up voucher for the internet cos of the flood and no less than 25 chemists have informed me there are no antihistamines left in the city....because of the flooding. I suggested to the last one that maybe they should try a different supplier, she told me that means getting the tablets from OUTSIDE QUEENSLAND :curse: I told her I wouldn't care if they came from Antarctica as long as I could get something to stop me sneezing, but she didn't get the point Th same pharmacy wouldn't sell me Nurofen either but this tine it wasn't cos of the flood but because I don't drive! Two passports not sufficient ID, it had to be a driving licence cos the only box on the form said driving licence number.....WTF!
Oh and Coles has run out of tomatoes and milk again.......due to the flood, good thing I won;t have any spare cash, there's nothing to spend it on
However, the good news is that the Eagle Street Pig n Whistle re-opens tonight
I came out of the kids hospital - throat operation, and had to buy kids liquid nurofen, (calpol) and it was $18 for 100ml
I thought I had heard every rip off price possible but thats just taking the biscuit!
#64
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Flood Levy - Enjoy your tax rise
But then the battlers would have to pay a rent that related to the cost of the property, mortage, rates, water... I dont think too many $500,000 houses would be rented out for 300/400 bucks a week then.
Real costs would be more like 1000+ a week.
Then the govt would be under pressure to provide more govt housing and they aint got the money thats for sure.
Real costs would be more like 1000+ a week.
Then the govt would be under pressure to provide more govt housing and they aint got the money thats for sure.
#65
Re: Flood Levy - Enjoy your tax rise
But then the battlers would have to pay a rent that related to the cost of the property, mortage, rates, water... I dont think too many $500,000 houses would be rented out for 300/400 bucks a week then.
Real costs would be more like 1000+ a week.
Then the govt would be under pressure to provide more govt housing and they aint got the money thats for sure.
Real costs would be more like 1000+ a week.
Then the govt would be under pressure to provide more govt housing and they aint got the money thats for sure.
#66
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2,442
Re: Flood Levy
It's exactly what we have come to expect of you Dean... very predictable!
#67
*
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,073
Re: Flood Levy
wonder if we'll all be rushing back to the UK..20% VAT..still least it makes the maths easier
#69
Re: Flood Levy
Threads merged.
Any chance some of you could remember you're actually adults? Rhetorical question.
Any chance some of you could remember you're actually adults? Rhetorical question.
Last edited by moneypenny20; Jan 27th 2011 at 8:04 am.
#70
Re: Flood Levy
I hope that this gets defeated in the house or whatever bogan ceremony they have in this country that masquerades as government due process.
Since when did paying for capital infrastructure damaged by a 1 in 50 yr event have to be done in 1 year what happened to issuing bonds, creating debt, to fund infrastructure. Its not like they cant find 1.8bn
this is never going to get repealed, there will be some other section doing it tough as that stupid woman says who will need this levy.
Since when did paying for capital infrastructure damaged by a 1 in 50 yr event have to be done in 1 year what happened to issuing bonds, creating debt, to fund infrastructure. Its not like they cant find 1.8bn
this is never going to get repealed, there will be some other section doing it tough as that stupid woman says who will need this levy.
#71
Re: Flood Levy
Surely this is to replace the massive amount of vital infrastructure that has been destroyed - bridges, coal lines from mines etc etc...?
Surely that is just as worth while as the ansett levy or dairy industry milk levy or gun buy back levy the coalition created? All those levies were also short term....though granted the coalition left the one on the milk well past its due date so labor had to remove it.
Gillard should just impose a hypocrisy levy on Abbott
#72
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 286
Re: Flood Levy
If you live in a flood prone area, you should pay a flood levy EVERY year ... then when you need to rebuild, we can take it from the money that YOU paid! Same with bushfires and people living with shrub all around them .... annual fire levy for living there!
Thats it .... I'm taking over the country! Problem solved!
#73
Re: Flood Levy
If you live in a flood prone area, you should pay a flood levy EVERY year ... then when you need to rebuild, we can take it from the money that YOU paid! Same with bushfires and people living with shrub all around them .... annual fire levy for living there!
Thats it .... I'm taking over the country! Problem solved!
Thats it .... I'm taking over the country! Problem solved!
Last edited by fish.01; Jan 27th 2011 at 9:11 am.
#74
Re: Flood Levy
I've been pleasantly surprised by the sensible nature of Gillard's response. A one-off 0.5% increase to the Medicare levy (combined with the scrapping or delaying of expensive and potentially worthless projects like the "cash for clunkers" scheme) sounds good to me. I won't be eligible to pay it, which is another nice bonus.
Gillard has obviously decided to follow the example of John Howard, who introduced a whopping six different levies during his time as PM, even when the budget was in surplus.
So the precedent was set by the Liberals, and Gillard is in good company here. It's a responsible approach, and reflects good financial management.
But Gillard needs to go much further. The Independents are right to push for a federal disaster fund, and Gillard should not be allowed to get her levy unless she agrees to create one. It's an excellent way to make up for the deficiencies of previous federal governments, none of which showed any foresight on this issue.
The money for a disaster fund should come from whatever is left of the stimulus budget, since our economy doesn't need any more artificial stimulation and hasn't for some time. She should also scrap the first home owner's grant, which is massively expensive, economically redundant, and arguably a significant contributor to Australia's overheated property market.
A permanent "disaster tax" is unnecessary, and would inevitably be skimmed off by the government over time. New taxes are an easy way for lazy governments to crib some more cash without spending more effort on balancing the books (e.g. Abbott's proposed tax on businesses to fund maternity leave; why not just run the budget properly in the first place?)
A one-off levy puts the responsibility back on Treasury to keep its accounts in order.
Gillard has obviously decided to follow the example of John Howard, who introduced a whopping six different levies during his time as PM, even when the budget was in surplus.
So the precedent was set by the Liberals, and Gillard is in good company here. It's a responsible approach, and reflects good financial management.
But Gillard needs to go much further. The Independents are right to push for a federal disaster fund, and Gillard should not be allowed to get her levy unless she agrees to create one. It's an excellent way to make up for the deficiencies of previous federal governments, none of which showed any foresight on this issue.
The money for a disaster fund should come from whatever is left of the stimulus budget, since our economy doesn't need any more artificial stimulation and hasn't for some time. She should also scrap the first home owner's grant, which is massively expensive, economically redundant, and arguably a significant contributor to Australia's overheated property market.
A permanent "disaster tax" is unnecessary, and would inevitably be skimmed off by the government over time. New taxes are an easy way for lazy governments to crib some more cash without spending more effort on balancing the books (e.g. Abbott's proposed tax on businesses to fund maternity leave; why not just run the budget properly in the first place?)
A one-off levy puts the responsibility back on Treasury to keep its accounts in order.
#75
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,555
Re: Flood Levy
As others have said the levy is to rebuild infrastructure that was destroyed. Roads, rail, schools etc. The stuff needed to get the economy going. Not even the Libs are denying the spend is needed.