Dismantle the war machine, slash taxes, privatisation, and keep welfare : Melbourne Indymedia

Slash taxes and end
welfare state, report
urges? Dismantle
the War Machine
not Welfare!

Income tax should be cut to a flat rate of 10 per cent to slash the need for welfare, according to a 'radical' plan released today.

But slash the need for welfare for whom?

The Centre for Independent Studies report says the flat-rate income tax of 10 per cent would ensure most Australians could afford to pay for essential services such as health and education, instead of relying on welfare payments.

The report, entitled The $85 Billion Tax/Welfare Churn, describes the welfare system as a "giant piggy bank" which "churns" the money people pay in taxes back to them in the form of welfare benefits.

What's wrong with that?

Report author Peter Saunders says that what a great majority of Australians pay in tax, they get back in pensions, allowances, family tax benefits and in the health and education services they use.

What's wrong with that?

"It's taking money out of one pocket and sticking it into another," Professor Saunders said?

"There's a great chunk of people in Australia who are now effectively paying for their own benefits and services.

What's wrong with that?

SAUNDERS: "We're paying a lot of money into the Government and we're getting a lot of value back but if that money stayed in people's pockets they could make their own arrangements more efficiently."?

I see so what if people spend their savings on a world trip instead and when they returned unforseen they have a heart attack, then they can die in the street because they already spent their hospital money?

I would have thought that people can't see their future and so that makes paying into a state piggy bank 'pool' a good idea especially if some other people can't get a job.

Peter Saunders shake-up is long overdue: Welfare Not Warfare

Although captive industries that produced "drop in on your foot" products remain within the borders of nation states, neither the enterprises nor the workers that they employ are competitive or viable in a globalised world dominated by magic new technologies. Firms made bankrupt and workers made unemployed and unemployable by the changes simply will not have the wealth needed to fill the coffers of central taxation agencies.

More: http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/02/88233.php

Professor Saunders says if the amount of money returned to people could be stripped back, more lower and middle-income earners could choose how to spend their money on health, education, savings and retirement?

"That's what we should be trying to move to over the next 20 to 30 years - increasing people's autonomy rather than people as clients of a monopoly government system," Professor Saunders said?

Is that like privatisation?

AFTINET has joined with community groups around the world to plan a program of events for the Global Week of Action for Trade Justice from 10 - 16 April. The demands of the week are:

NO to the rich and powerful imposing unjust trade agreements, indiscriminate liberalisation and privatisation on the poor.

YES to everyone's right to food, a livelihood, water, health and education.

More: http://www.aftinet.org.au/

While Professor Saunders supports moves such as federal Treasurer Peter Costello's push to move single parents back into the workforce, he says no incentive was offered to get people back to work.

(Photo):

Dismantle the War Machine not Welfare
http://www.msav.org.au/rally/Medicare.htm

What about the corporate welfare how does that work?

AUSTRALIAN AID = CORPORATE WELFARE

The Minister For Foreign Affairs, in his annual statement on Australia's development co-operation program, today pledged to continue the path of Australia's Foreign Aid, by promoting corporate well-being at the expense of the most vulnerable.

Over 70% of the 2002/03 aid budget (.815 Billion) goes to just 10 private companies.

These companies hide behind the shadow of 'commercial in confidence' legislation and their practices are increasingly non-accountable and non-transparent as a result.

One of the top 3 recipients of aid contracts is Australia's richest man Kerry Packer, through his company GRM International Pty Ltd.

I see?

Corporate welfare
Wednesday 20 December 2000

Though the federal government won't confirm the exact figure, it seems General Motors Holden is the latest company to receive a subsidy to build it's new plant in Melbourne. Governments say wooing industry - like Virgin airlines to Brisbane - creates employment. But is it really value for money?

I see?

The Guardian October 31, 2001

For a long time the Adelaide Advertiser has carried stories about Mitsubishi's shaky commitment to the State and how the Government had given $20 million to the car manufacturing giant to stay. The Federal Government topped that with an incentive scheme worth $200 million over five years.

I See?

Corporate welfare - a sweet deal for some 30 April 2004

The $444 million sugar industry assistance package, to give it its political name, is certainly a sweet deal for the industry, especially all those government members in marginal seats along the Queensland coast. But it's also an example of corporate welfarism at its John Howard worst.

I see?

Costello to force single mums to look for work?

What the blind leading the blind? But where is the proof that they do not try? So what he said today merely attempts to back up what Peter Dutton said yesterday that, " 300 PEOPLE A DAY GO ONTO A DISABILITY SUPPORT PENSION?

More: http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/04/90019.php

SAUNDERS: "I think that's one reason why it's essential to do something about tax rates at the bottom of the income scale. You've got to make it worthwhile for people to work," he said

"If you're going to have welfare reform you've got to have tax reform. The two things are linked."

Related:

Govt plots post-July strategy?

Allegedly 8 billion dollars a year is spent on social welfare? But below it appears is HoWARd's real mission and I hope his contradictions can be seen by all because what you see is what you get.

More: http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/02/88071.php

Welfare Reform for Warfare Expenditure?

Top of the agenda for what the Government describes as its "strategic" Cabinet meetings are the restructuring of industrial relations and welfare reform, but not CORPORATE WELFARE REFORM and it seems increasing GOVERNMENT expenditure on WARFARE in Iraq?

More: http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/02/88135.php

Encouragement is the key to welfare-to-work programs

"It's very important that people feel motivated. I honestly don't think people are going to go into sustained quality employment if they feel as though they're forced to do so."

More: http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/03/88584.php

The HoWARd Government is simply robbing the disabled blind

JUST US: Really Mr Dutton so where are these figures? 300 PEOPLE A DAY GO ONTO A DISABILITY SUPPORT PENSION? Clearly that is just nonsense and because no one else argued against it and there are no figures shown to prove it, then what you and Brissenden are saying is we all have to believe you?

More: http://www.adelaide.indymedia.org.au/newswire/display/8146/index.php