• Welcome to the Green and Gold Rugby forums. As you can see we've upgraded the forums to new software. Your old logon details should work, just click the 'Login' button in the top right.

Julia's Reign

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ruggo

Mark Ella (57)
The problem is not the Gillard govt but the wider Labor party. They are just so busy trying to eat each other from within. What is most depressing is that they are the party of mainstream Australia but are in such a state that they couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.
 

Scotty

David Codey (61)
It was intended on being a 'super profits tax'. The massive drop in commodity prices in the second half of 2012 is the biggest reason the tax has collected so little money.

Asian spot iron ore prices fell to a three-year low of $US86.90 by September 4 2012 from around $US134 a tonne at the end of June 2012, before recovering to reach $US144.90 by the end of 2012.

Benchmark coal prices at Newcastle port dropped to $US80.82 a tonne in mid-October from $US97.31 a tonne at the end of June, before recovering to $US92.25 by year-end.
By mid February 2013, iron ore prices were over US$155 a tonne and coal was over US$96 a tonne.
When the super profits tax was first being discussed and drafted in 2010 and 2011, iron ore was trading at over US$180 a tonne and coal over US$136 a tonne.
The whole impetus for the tax was to take a greater share of the profits when iron ore and coal prices were at record highs essentially giving the miners windfall profits. The state based mineral royalties are purely based on volume which means that the states don't receive any extra money even when prices are at record highs.
I think the tax is far from perfect however the part of it that is correct is that the return is relative to commodity prices. When prices are low, the mining companies don't make exhorbitant profits and the tax delivers little income. When prices are at record highs it will deliver high levels of taxation revenue.
I have taken stats and paraphrased bits of this article for my information. http://www.smh.com.au/business/mini...inker-with-the-mining-tax-20130212-2ean3.html

I disagree completely that being based on profits is the way to go. If the tax is indeed about sharing around the limited resources that we have, then basing it on volume is absolutely the way go to. It would ensure that anyone pulling non-renewables out of the ground is paying their share. It is much more straight forward and a lot easier to police and predict. It is also very easy for mining companies to price into their operations.
 

Scotty

David Codey (61)
The futures contracts all demonstrated that commodities were softening.
The whole purpose of the tax was distorted in the re-negotiations when Joolia backstabbed Rudd.The big miners ensured that this tax would not impact on them at all.
No business I have ever been involved in,budgets on favourable outcomes.
Targets may have some blue sky in their numbers, but budgets are always based on known facts, and likely scenario's.
Even when commodities were at their lowest, Waaayne was still telling everyone that the budget numbers were correct.This was just a blatant lie,and has been proved so.

Agree - businesses base budgets on as accurate figures as possible. It is governments that like to base budgets on favourable outcomes - although I'm sure the Treasury is meant to be independent of politics.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I disagree completely that being based on profits is the way to go. If the tax is indeed about sharing around the limited resources that we have, then basing it on volume is absolutely the way go to. It would ensure that anyone pulling non-renewables out of the ground is paying their share. It is much more straight forward and a lot easier to police and predict. It is also very easy for mining companies to price into their operations.

This already exists. That is how state based mining royalties operate.

The mining tax is designed to extract extra revenue for the Commonwealth when the commodity prices are so high they make a mockery of what the states are charging per tonne of mined coal/iron ore.
 

Lior

Herbert Moran (7)
I think we should all be in despair at the state of Australian politics. I know I am. Everyone who is involved hasn't done anything special with the exception of one or two individuals. To get anywhere in this country politically you need to be a member of a political party and basically kiss people's feet to move up. Half of me is becoming more sympathetic to a Direct President model so we can rid ourselves of these useless careerists who aren't fit to run the local rugby league raffle yet alone a trade union! Yet these people are running Australia. Same can be said on the other side as well although not as bad. Abbott, O'Farrell, Pyne, Swan haven't done anything else but organised politics. There are plenty more. In the USA we see former successful businessman and senior academics frequently run for political office. But it isn't feasible in Australia because you have to be in parliament for ages to actually move up the chain.

Now onto Gillard and this election. If this election was to be a referendum on how a government has performed then sure you would throw her out. This government has conducted itself disgracefully. The politics, the spin, the survival of the fittest. It's a farce and they are a farce. But the Coalition's policies don't stack up, are they really going to repeal a carbon tax? And replace it with a slush fund for green technologies. That is such a ridiculous and inneficient idea. Are they really going to cut Australia's refugee intake? Are they really going to slash 70 billion dollars in costs to fund inneffiecient and politically motivated tax cuts and spending programs. Are they really going to tax businesses more to foot a unncesscary paid parental leave scheme.

These policies don't pass the credibility test. And neither does this government. It's a farce. Both sides suck and really need serious reform.

And just before I finish my rant what the fuck is Bill Shorten still doing in politics. He's a dog of a human being and has next to no integrity. To discuss the very idea which is him being put in charge of the Labor Party when they lose in a few months time is just ridiculous. This bloke is an absolute rolled gold clown who shouldn't be anywhere near power. A true stain on the ALP and Australian parliamentary politics. I hope the ALP have the sense to throw this moron out.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
And just before I finish my rant what the fuck is Bill Shorten still doing in politics. He's a dog of a human being and has next to no integrity. To discuss the very idea which is him being put in charge of the Labor Party when they lose in a few months time is just ridiculous. This bloke is an absolute rolled gold clown who shouldn't be anywhere near power. A true stain on the ALP and Australian parliamentary politics. I hope the ALP have the sense to throw this moron out.

Anything specific?
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
I disagree completely that being based on profits is the way to go. If the tax is indeed about sharing around the limited resources that we have, then basing it on volume is absolutely the way go to. It would ensure that anyone pulling non-renewables out of the ground is paying their share. It is much more straight forward and a lot easier to police and predict. It is also very easy for mining companies to price into their operations.

That is already in place, they are called royalties - all the states charge them.

This tax is like a lotto tax, the challenge is that the current idiots planned for fixed savings before their lotto win was calculated, and the lotto win was the $22 kind.

So they are in the hole again
 

boyo

Mark Ella (57)
A bit old, but still appropriate.

olQxJ.jpg
 

Scotty

David Codey (61)
As far as I can see all of Shorten's policies have the sole aim of trying to increase Labor's constituents. They all follow a similar line:

- bad for individual or small contractors
- make it hard for small business so that only big business can comply
- increase big business
- increase the number of employees, thus increasing the number of union members
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
From my perspective as a Chartered Accountant, I feel that Shorten has been pretty good at his job as a minister in relation to the financial services industry and superannuation.

That is of course only one of his ministerial positions. I don't really have much comment on the other side (Employment and Workplace Relations) which seems to be what Scotty is talking about.
 

Runner

Nev Cottrell (35)
Worth remembering that you can't hold a parliamentary position with the ALP if you are NOT a member of a union. Often defined as a closed shop.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Worth remembering that you can't hold a parliamentary position with the ALP if you are NOT a member of a union. Often defined as a closed shop.
Still?
Just as well they're vote is declining otherwise, with union membership falling, there'd be no one to stand
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
The two party system is so outdated and provides poor representation of the population at Federal level.

Local Federal MPs have little impact on their local area and are instead just representative of their political party.

I would much prefer a proportional representation system (somewhat like the senate) which allows for more political parties with more niche interests. It then encourages a system where compromise is essential to govern.

The Coalition will remain because they need it to win power even though Liberals and Nationals are pretty far apart these days. Aside from more conservative social agendas they have very little in common anymore. Despite that they will remain joined at the hip because both would prefer to be paired with another party with many conflicting policies but a chance to be in power than to stand alone and stand up for their own policies.

The ALP and The Greens are in a pretty similar situation. They share some similar agendas but are light years apart on other issues. The Greens will always side with the ALP rather than the more conservative Coalition and unless the ALP has power in their own right, they'll always be happy to accept those votes.

I think as the population becomes more and more diverse and more issues become important to the population (particularly social issues which become more and more prominent when a country is wealthy and spends less time focusing on survival type agendas) a proportional representation system rather than a direct local representation system under a two party system would better serve the population.

Of course none of this is likely to happen for many, many years.
 

Runner

Nev Cottrell (35)
In 1901 there were a number of parties and independents. Nothing got done. The party system works BUT it is wether the people in it a democratic about the process or not.

We have returned to the dark days with Labor. I am old enough to remember the famous picture of Gough outside union headquarters waiting to be told who would be in his shadow cabinet by the faceless union officials.

Some like Howes are less faceless but they have made a big come back since Hawke etc.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
The two party system is so outdated and provides poor representation of the population at Federal level.

Local Federal MPs have little impact on their local area and are instead just representative of their political party.

I would much prefer a proportional representation system (somewhat like the senate) which allows for more political parties with more niche interests. It then encourages a system where compromise is essential to govern.

The Coalition will remain because they need it to win power even though Liberals and Nationals are pretty far apart these days. Aside from more conservative social agendas they have very little in common anymore. Despite that they will remain joined at the hip because both would prefer to be paired with another party with many conflicting policies but a chance to be in power than to stand alone and stand up for their own policies.

The ALP and The Greens are in a pretty similar situation. They share some similar agendas but are light years apart on other issues. The Greens will always side with the ALP rather than the more conservative Coalition and unless the ALP has power in their own right, they'll always be happy to accept those votes.

I think as the population becomes more and more diverse and more issues become important to the population (particularly social issues which become more and more prominent when a country is wealthy and spends less time focusing on survival type agendas) a proportional representation system rather than a direct local representation system under a two party system would better serve the population.

Of course none of this is likely to happen for many, many years.
I pretty much agree with this except for 2 things:
1. The trouble with proportional representation is that you finish up with a hung parliament all the time. some may see this as a strength or an indication of "true democracy" but the sad reality is that everyone sticks to their major party so unholy alliances are formed in order to gain or keep government. In both the US and the UK party loyalty is a more flexible concept and these are 2 vastly different systems. I tend to the view that the problems with the US owe a lot to their dysfunctional system rather than having 2 parties. The UK does have an unholy alliance in power at the moment but there is always a fair bit of swimming outside the flags for average members.
2. In what way is the LIB/NAT coalition any more socially conservative than the federal ALP? This not uncommon view is a myth at the moment.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top