Australian Flood Tax

[ntg]

This is a one-off levy to raise essential funds for the reconstruction of essential infrastructure in Queensland. It will help the government to avoid a budget deficit, and it is being used in conjunction with a range of cost-cutting measures, including the scrapping or delaying of expensive non-essential policies.

The levy itself is hilariously low; people with an income of $50,000 will pay $1 dollar extra per week for 12 months. I defy anyone to tell me they can't afford that.

Australia's previous government (a conservative government, no less!) introduced 6 different levies during its time in office, even when the budget was in surplus. Every single one of those levies was larger than the flood levy.

This is a complete non-issue. People will rage about it because they don't like the idea of the government taking more money, but once the reality sinks in, they'll realise they were massively over-reacting. We saw exactly the same thing when John Howard introduced the GST. Huge outcry followed by a nationwide scare campaign, and then... people just got on with their lives.

It's not just the amount of money, which seems to vary between $1-$20 per month (depending where you sit on a 50k-100k range). It's the principle that is being debated. It's also more expensive for those that earn 100k+. Someone who earns 1m would be $750 per month for example.

More than $120 million has already been raised via charitable donations and additional funding from state and federal government. But with reconstruction due to cost ~$5 billion, that's nowhere near enough. Damage to Queensland was immense. The flooding covered an area larger than France and Germany combined. We are not talking about the little puddles you get in the UK.

I mentioned in an earlier post that the 2008/2009 foreign aid budget of .au was almost $5billion. They could cut their 2011/12 budget for example (I would guess would be the same) and divert the funds to their own need for aid.

 

[rypt]

But with reconstruction due to cost ~$5 billion, that's nowhere near enough.

Your foreign aid budget is >$3bn or something, stop paying that and suddenly you can afford the reconstruction

 

[theNude]

Australians immigration policy is far more relaxed than the UK.

 

[DAIR]

Australians immigration policy is far more relaxed than the UK.

Really?

 

[theNude]

No out of country skilled visas for the UK (tier 1) are being processed right now,

Australia is accepting applications for many skilled occupations under the 176/175 visa category which in comparison is a much easier visa to qualify for (no salary requirement, no bachelor/masters requirement) etc.

What makes you say that it isn't easier?

 

[rypt]

No out of country skilled visas for the UK (tier 1) are being processed right now,

Australia is accepting applications for many skilled occupations under the 176/175 visa category which in comparison is a much easier visa to qualify for (no salary requirement, no bachelor/masters requirement) etc.

What makes you say that it isn't easier?

The fact that UK freely accepts unskilled labour from the whole of EU, and Aus does not?

 

[kwerk]

Other than their awesomely strict immigration policy there is not much that the .au government does that is aspirational. Progressive? No.

Apparently it's only strict for white immigrants judging by the number of third world asians in their cities who barely speaky engrish.

 

[kwerk]

Really?

The trick is to arrive on one of these:

instead of one of these:

 

[Sankari]

I was actually disappointed by this. It's further punishing the rich.

What a load of crap. The average annual Australian wage is $64,000. The flood levy applies to anyone earning $50,000 or more, which is substantially below the average. And at an extra $1 per week for anyone on $50k a year, the levy is so small as to be utterly negligible.

"Punishing the rich"? Don't make me laugh.

 

[Tefal]

How is grabbing a minority and telling them it's their job to pay for it solidarity or progressive?


edit:

What a load of crap. The average annual Australian wage is $64,000. The flood levy applies to anyone earning $50,000 or more, which is substantially below the average. And at an extra $1 per week for anyone on $50k a year, the levy is so small as to be utterly negligible.

"Punishing the rich"? Don't make me laugh.

ahhh that makes more sense, forgot exchange rate >.<

 

[Darkstaruk]

Apparently it's only strict for white immigrants judging by the number of third world asians in their cities who barely speaky engrish.

There has to be someone behind it all because it never stops. I imagine even if the far-right parties were in power we would still see mass immigration.
Who is behind it all? United nations? their idea to fix world poverty is to put everyone in western countries. Too bad our lands are falling apart I hate to think what our living standards will be like in 100 years.

Once countries like China and India fix their problems good luck convincing them to take people in.


I don't want my homeland taken over by these Muslic lunatics they're taking us backwards not forwards. Every day it's Fatwa this, jihad that.

If it means being a racist then so be it but one day the people of this country will regret their tolerance.

 

[Zip]

The trick is to arrive on one of these:

instead of one of these:

And if he did that he would be locked in detention, Then they will find out he isnt actually an Asylum seeker and sent back to the UK

Which is what a lot of people dont actually seem to understand down here

 

[Zip]

What a load of crap. The average annual Australian wage is $64,000. The flood levy applies to anyone earning $50,000 or more, which is substantially below the average. And at an extra $1 per week for anyone on $50k a year, the levy is so small as to be utterly negligible.

"Punishing the rich"? Don't make me laugh.

Id love to be making an average wage
No Levy tax for me thats for sure

The main thing i dislike about it is that the people who have made charity Donations are going to have some more money taken off them which is going to make people think twice about charity next time **** hits the fan.

BTW what do you think of Redneck Bob Catter? I find him Absolutely hilarious and like the fact he speaks his mind

 

[Sankari]

The main thing i dislike about it is that the people who have made charity Donations are going to have some more money taken off them which is going to make people think twice about charity next time **** hits the fan.

Many of the people who have made charity donations will not be eligible to pay the levy, and those who are, will not miss an extra $1 or $2 per week. People will make a big fuss at first, but after a few months of paying the levy without even noticing a difference in their tax, they'll realise they've made complete idiots of themselves.

BTW what do you think of Redneck Bob Catter? I find him Absolutely hilarious and like the fact he speaks his mind

I disagree with some of his views, but he is hilarious, and I appreciate his candour. He's a pragmatic politician who genuinely puts his electorate first, which is rare these days.

 

[tigerstyle]

You've got more chance of being served in a shop by an English person in London than you have of being served by an Australian person in Sydney. I was amazed at quite how much immigration there was - mostly Asian.

Bit short sighted there? The mostly Asian shop keepers as you put it are just as likely to be students on temporary visas, or 2nd generation (making them actually Australian) than 1st generation immigrants. Asians can be Australians too Or did you go round asking to see current passports when shopping?

Australia immigration = strict + lots of hoop jumping! But a worthwhile process if that's what you want

 

[RDM]

I think it's a great idea, and shows that the Australian Government is progressive and that the Australian nation share a good sense of solidarity with each other.

How does it show a good sense of solidarity? Is it really solidarity if you are forced to do it?

 

[One More Solo]

Many of the people who have made charity donations will not be eligible to pay the levy, and those who are, will not miss an extra $1 or $2 per week. People will make a big fuss at first, but after a few months of paying the levy without even noticing a difference in their tax, they'll realise they've made complete idiots of themselves.

Exactly, I'm all for idea behind the tax. These floods don't just affect people and their homes but the public infrastructure too. People really aren't going to miss 1% and, provided the govt keeps their promise, it won't be for long anyway. People also need to remember that though this tax will raise $2bn, the government is making up the outstanding $4bn through spending cuts.

It sounds as though most of the backlash to the tax stems from dissatisfaction with the government, rather than the policy.

 

[Sankari]

How does it show a good sense of solidarity? Is it really solidarity if you are forced to do it?

I think the huge public donations and cleanup volunteers showed a good sense of solidarity. I don't think the levy shows a good sense of solidarity, though it does show a good sense of fiscal responsibility.

 

[RDM]

I think the huge public donations and cleanup volunteers showed a good sense of solidarity. I don't think the levy shows a good sense of solidarity, though it does show a good sense of fiscal responsibility.

I have no real gripe with the tax itself, just the statement from the OP that it shows a sense of solidarity.

 

[Spamalot]

Wow, not a bad thread for GD!

So, forced charity in a way?

Isn't all tax? Govenmemts/charities provide merit good, the only difference is governments raise the money through taxing incomes and demerit goods, where as charities rely on human faith.