Diary of our stinking Govt.

[boris1gary]

As it's more than 100 days now, it has been suggested that a new thread was needed.  The current govt has been breaking promises and telling lies at a rate so fast it's hard to keep up.

This below is worrying, "independent" pffft, as if your own doctor is somehow what? biased, it's ridiculous. So far there is talk of only including people under a certain age 30-35, for now. Remember that if your injured in a car, injured at work or get ill, you too might need to go on the DSP. They have done a similar think in the UK with devastating consequences.

and this is the 2nd time recently where the Govt has referred to work as welfare???? So when you go to work tomorrow (or tuesday), just remember that's welfare.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-20/disability-pensioners-may-be-reassessed-kevin-andrews/5400598

Independent doctors could be called in to reassess disability pensioners, Federal Government says

The Federal Government is considering using independent doctors to examine disability pensioners and assess whether they should continue to receive payments.

Currently family doctors provide reports supporting claims for the Disability Support Pension (DSP).

But Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews is considering a measure that would see independent doctors reassess eligibility.

"We are concerned that where people can work, the best form of welfare is work," Mr Andrews said at a press conference.

[monman12]

I missed this:

So, the luxury tax on cars for the wealthy in Australia and those that have the fortune to be able to afford such a luxury was 33%...... has been decreased 52%....to about 17.5% give or take a few %.

When did this happen P007?, provide some dates or figures to support your comment, relying on others can be a problem if you do not fully understand the subject.

I will make it easy,  give me the figures for 2 imported cars:  $100K and $250K  (not fuel efficient), both  in 2012 and then  2014. "give or take a few %. Thatshould not be necessary actually, it is a basic calculation, use the ATO figures.

nɥºɾ

[monman12]

"I really don't care monman12 but thanks for posting. "   But what will P007 do now?

Obviously there is no C&P that would  directly answer this  question of mine then B1G?:

"Perhaps P007 or yourself could  show (for the same value vehicle) when in time (with references) the LCT dropped so much,  or using your example, backtrack and indicate when "Tim's" car LCT would have been 33%."

Chuckle.

nɥºɾ

[fourandsixpants]

There are a number of cases where Luxury Car Tax does not apply on vehicle purchases over  $60,316:

• if the vehicle was sold or imported prior to 1st July 2000
• if the car is supplied over two years following the local build date or, if imported, the vehicle compliance date.
• if it is an emergency vehicle (eg ambulance etc)
• if it is not GST-free and is specially fitted out for transporting disabled people seated in wheelchairs
• if it is a campervan or motor home
• if it is a commercial vehicle that is not designed for the principal purpose of carrying passengers.
• if the vehicle is supplied by private sale
• if the vehicle has a combined fuel consumption rating not exceeding 7 litres per 100 kilometres (based on a combined test cycle rating under ADR81). In that case it is deemed a fuel efficient vehicle and benefitrs from an increased threshold to $75,375.00 AUD
• there is a calulator at this link too http://www.privatefleet.com.au/links-and-resources/crash-tests-car-safety/car-stamp-duty/lct/

Call to end luxury car tariffs to slash prices

• by:SID MAHER and ANDREW FRASER

TONY Abbott is facing calls to scrap remaining tariffs on imported motor vehicles to make new cars up to $2000 cheaper as the departure of Toyota, Ford and Holden leaves the nation without a car manufacturing industry to protect.

And leading economists have called on the government to scrap the luxury car tax, a move that would save buyers of high-end vehicles about $400 million a year by reducing the cost of cars by thousands of dollars.

The Australian Automobile Association wants the Abbott government to announce the phasing out of the 5 per cent tariff on imported cars in the May budget to coincide with the reduction in assistance to domestic car manufacturers.

...“The government must use the upcoming federal budget to announce the end of vehicle import tariffs in order to improve motoring affordability.”

.....Mercedes-Benz communications chief David McCarthy said yesterday there was little justification for maintaining a tariff on imported vehicles or keeping the luxury vehicle tax as protection of the local vehicle manufacturing industry clearly had not worked.

........John Freebairn, economics professor at Melbourne University, agreed that the rationale for tariffs and luxury car tax had vanished, adding the special customs duty of $12,000 payable on important of second-hand cars could also be abolished

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/call-to-end-luxury-car-tariffs-to-slash-prices/stor...#

[fourandsixpants]

The decision itself neatly illustrates the absurd result.  The case considered the Toyota fleet program under which two identical Toyota vehicles sold by the same dealer on the same day to the same fleet customer would be subject to different LCT merely because one vehicle was ordered as a fleet vehicle (meaning the wholesale price was reduced by the rebate) and the other was sold from existing inventory (meaning the rebate was paid as a separate amount direct from the distributor to the dealer).....

....The ATO is currently undecided as to the GST treatment of demonstrator bonuses.

.....It seems illogical that two transactions that are in substance and reality the same should attract different amounts of LCT.  It also seems absurd that the fleet customer should be expected to pay two different retail prices for these vehicles (assuming the dealer passes on the LCT as they usually would) merely as a result of how a 'hidden payment' between the distributor and dealer was paid out.  Even if the dealer chooses to absorb some or all of the additional LCT it seems absurd that two transactions that are essentially the same should produce a different profit margin solely as a result of LCT......

.... dealers who purchase vehicles direct from distributors (i.e. not bailment) will secure a competitive advantage through lower LCT calculations.

...

Are there any other options to resolve the LCT problem?

Lobbying to change the definition of "price" in the LCT Act is another option available.  As stated above, it is unlikely that the intention of LCT was for it to attach to hidden payments between distributors and dealers but rather to be limited to the deal agreed between the retail customer and the dealer.  This, together with the unintended results flowing from the use of the GST definition of "price" may warrant a legislative change......

http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_AU/au/insights/browse-by-content

type/alerts/b6d17f1b4ee14410VgnVCM2000003356f70aRCRD.htm

H-hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnn! * La-la-laaaa!

[fourandsixpants]

Well there's no point in having import tariffs or excessive tax restrictrictions on the importation of products which Australia does not already manufacture

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Well.

I'm sure most Australians would prefer to have a job.....and a car industry.....any industry would be good.

What will go next?....Oh that's right, under a Treaty that our Australian politicians signed back in the mid 1970's (that many other countries refused to be a part of, like the UK, USA, Canada, etc) Australia was given the illustrious task of being a resource provider.

What feeds and clothes and houses and educates and employs our Australian population when no-one wants our resources or there is a drop in demand?

............Hmmmmm??

So what model of new car are you hankering after nocolor90?....a BMW perhaps? LOL

[boris1gary]

http://theaimn.com/2014/05/26/time-to-end-tony-abbotts-deceitful-debt-scare-campaign/ 

Time to end Tony Abbott’s deceitful debt scare campaign

Let’s get real here and start talking facts. Cold hard incontrovertible facts.

I have already outlined the truth of the situation in, Facts speak for themselves, Australia still lucky country. Now to get into the details.

$44 billion worth of net assets were inherited by the Labor Government in 2007 from John Howard’s Liberal Government.

This is after a strong period of economic growth and private investment following the dot com crash, from 2002 to 2007. Not to mention, ever surging commodity prices and resources demand, mainly from a booming China.

$70 billion of government owned assets were sold off under by Treasurer Costello, most of them at bargain basement rates. Incidentally, as an aside, he now wants the Queensland Government to engage in such reckless practices.

This means the net assets on the books (63% of the overall cash generated from asset sales) were as a result of selling our assets, without a mandate, for much less than they would now be worth if they had been retained.

[boris1gary]

Debt: the big lie on which Abbott built a budget

The 2014 federal budget is built on the big lie that the Australian economy is facing a debt crisis. The proposition that the ‘‘debt and deficit’’ had to be reduced was the excuse for the even bigger lie before the election that there would be no surprises, no cuts to health, education or public broadcasting and no tax increases.

Post-election, it was explained that these promises had to give way to the national interest – defined as reducing government debt. To demands by critics of the budget that the government at least admit that it had been lying in the run-up to the election, the response was along the lines of, ‘‘You haven’t been listening, we always said that dealing with the deficit was always our first priority and that in government we found that Labor had covered up the full extent of the debt problem’’.

The truth is, the Commonwealth doesn’t have a debt problem. Estimated net debt in 2013-14 is $197.8 billion, or 12 per cent of gross domestic product – one of the lowest of the mature industrial countries. If Australia was a corporation, the directors (cabinet ministers) would be likely to be accused of running a ‘‘lazy balance sheet’’ and booted out by shareholders (voters).

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/debt-the-big-lie-on-which-abbott-built-a-budget-20140523-zrlxl.html...

[cherry*135]

Abbott and Co struggle to douse budget

"So how have the senior Liberals responded to the political heat they are experiencing? While prefect Pyne has reverted to type (in a way that must alarm the Liberal spin doctors), the Prime Minister and Treasurer cannot afford to sound like carping left-baiting young Libs.

Since his budget speech, Hockey has tried desperately to channel Margaret Thatcher – all stiff-lipped and implacable – but the "I will not apologise for taking the hard decisions" line is not really cutting through. His attacks on those who question his fiscal rectitude sound like contrived indignation. Frankly, the "foghorn on legs" is struggling to get his message across.

Abbott too is floundering. In opposition he cultivated an image of bluff geniality, although many suspected that his youthful temper and volatility were just beneath the surface. At every opportunity he donned his hard hat or the bushfire-fighter kit to persuade us he was an ordinary, laconic roll-your-sleeves-up Australian.

But now he is beginning to sound like someone’s slow-witted uncle, calmly explaining to us why we need to suffer for the country."


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/abbott-and-co-struggle-to-douse-budget-heat-20140526-zroh7.html#ixzz32...

[monman12]

As I said before,  C&P and quoting others apropos a topic one does not understand  can  be a problem. So again  I ask below for  reference to your statement P007.   C&P of variations and exceptions do not answer the question as they have not changed suddenly.

So, the luxury tax on cars for the wealthy in Australia and those that have the fortune to be able to afford such a luxury was 33%...... has been decreased 52%....to about 17.5% give or take a few %.

When did this happen P007?, provide some dates or figures to support your comment, relying on others can be a problem if you do not fully understand the subject.

I will make it easy,  give me the figures for 2 imported cars:  $100K and $250K  (not fuel efficient), both  in 2012 and then  2014.

When you make a definitive comment , support it,  otherwise it, and others will be viewed with the same "disdain".

nɥºɾ

[monman12]

"The 2014 federal budget is built on the big lie that the Australian economy is facing a debt crisis"

It is so easy this C&P stuff B1G, I will try some.

The  Australian

AUSTRALIA will need massive budget savings of about $90 billion if it is to stabilise its government debt by 2030, International Monetary Fund estimates show.

The fund’s latest review of budget management around the world shows that Australia remains vastly better off than any other advanced country, with the smallest government debt, but its deficit is among the largest.

Allowing for normal cyclical movements in the budget bottom line, the IMF estimates Australia’s deficit will fall to 2.3 per cent of GDP (about $37bn) this year, compared with an advanced-country average of defic­its equivalent to 1.3 per cent of GDP.

There has been a big fall in budget deficits across the advanced world, with only Japan and Norway having bigger ­deficits than Australia.

The IMF has calculated what would be required to bring Australia’s public-sector debt back to this year’s levels, allowing for the expected growth in age-related spending over the next 15 years. It estimates this would require savings from federal and state budgets of 5.6 per cent of GDP, equivalent to $90bn.

This is  fun:    nɥºɾ