1 post tagged “income tax”

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23711763-601,00.html

Folks,

Our new Immigration Minister says that we need a major infusion of skilled and unskilled migrants to boost our workforce in Australia.

Senator Chris Evans explains it this way: "My general view is that we are increasingly facing a labour shortage, not just a skills shortage."

I beg to differ. What we actually have is not so much a lack of bodies, but a lack of political will to get many idle people in our community back into the workforce. I'm not talking about the genuinely physically disabled or those with mental disabilities or the elderly on zimmer frames or with bad kidneys etc. 

I'm talking about the many families where one adult has chosen to stay at home because from the taxation point of view, it makes more sense for them to stay put than to go to work. Thus, there are these people who have flown under the radar by choice so that they can continue to claim government-sponsored (ultimately taxpayer-funded) family support payments. Money for jam!

Still not convinced? Well, tell me how many of you know of youngsters who are sitting idle at home and running wild in shopping centres, who could perhaps be working if they don't want to study for one more day? How many of you know of single mums or dads with young adult children now, who'd like to return to work but can't get a look-in anywhere? We keep hearing of this boom we're supposed to be having and of people already here who can't find work in this country. Given this, why do we need to continue to import hundreds of thousands of migrants to supposedly fill our "labour shortage"? We have a ready workforce that just needs to be motivated to get out there, and for employers to give them a go.

I lay this parlous state of affairs at the feet of the previous government. They had 12 years to plan for this but left things idle until it's got to this point.

And the middle class welfare that sat at the core of the previous government's tax system, encouraged people to sit on their collective arses waiting for THEIR fuckin' handouts because blind freddy could see that there was just no incentive to work when one could stay home, watch "Oprah" on midday tele AND get paid at the same time! You tell me, can we really afford this in a country of some 7-8 million working people? No fuckin' wonder that our income taxes are so ridiculously high in this country!

While I'm here, let me just add my two-cent rant at the current backlash from our pensioners who are asking for more. I am the last one to begrudge them their due because I know, one day, I will be in their position.

But what this government has to do, is think EXTREMELY CAREFULLY about how they'll structure our tax system so that our social safety nets can still meet the requirements of today WITHOUT ERODING THE FUTURE WELL-BEING OF THE PRESENT & FUTURE GENERATION OF WORKERS WHEN THEY RETIRE.

First thing to do is to root out all the under-employed, lifestyle-unemployed and clever tax dodgers in our midst and get them to start working or paying their fair share of taxes immediately. 

Nobody must ever get a free ride in this country, otherwise I'll personally be visiting them. I am just totally sick and tired of being a pack horse for this country's taxation system, carrying the many saddle baggers out there whom I know are trying to stay out of the employment and taxation radar.

Ninja