Now they are considering a higher fuel tax!

[bella_again]

Oh joy... 😕

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-08/jamie-briggs-signals-government-will-raise-fuel-taxes-in-budge...

[bella_again]

Sorry guys no idea how to cut and paste.

[tall_bearded]

Did anyone think anything less

[debra9275]

yes, thanks Bella, they were discussing this on radio this morning.

It's the last thing our economy needs IMO

[freakiness]

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@bella_again wrote:

Oh joy... 😕

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-08/jamie-briggs-signals-government-will-raise-fuel-taxes-in-budge...

---

"But it is understood the Government is convinced that freezing the excise in 2001 has contributed to the budget situation which it has repeatedly said it was overwhelmingly elected to repair."

I can't wait to see how Gillard gets the blame for that oversight.

[bella_again]

Yeah it's clear as a country we have a revenue problem so it's either we cut everything or tax more to balance the budget.  However this tax will if raised too much seriously disadvantage rural people and add to the cost of everything.  It may not be a big deal for some to add another 10 dollars to the cost of filling the family car or to cut back the minimum wage or pensions.  For those struggling however its another nail in the coffin and may cause many more to not only lose what little they have but the danger is there for us to follow in the steps of the US where the number of homelessness and desperate has increased.

See I tend to think we should up the GST 5% and leave pensions and minimum wages where they are.  Not sure that would solve the problem as such though.

[freakiness]

Perhaps we should keep or up the mining tax and look at other mega profit companies then close the loop holes that allow taxes to be avoided by shuffling the money.

[bella_again]

Totally agree Freaky, but I think this government is hell bent on screwing the lower income bracket and the poor into the ground and pandering to the rich.  I listened to an interview on the ABC the other day and they were saying one of the reasons the govt target the lower income group and the poor is because they don't have as bigger voice as the rich or the resources to fight it 😞

[i-need-a-martini]

I agree freaky.

Up things like the mining tax.

The fuel thing affects those people who need the most help. 

[cherry*135]

They might as well put the GST up instead.