The New South Wales election together with the Easter break have left the big media polls out of the picture recently, with Newspoll taking an extra week off, Ipsos last being heard from in late February, and a full two months having passed since the last result from Galaxy. That means the BludgerTrack poll aggregate is heavily influenced at the moment by Morgan and Essential, together with last week’s result from ReachTEL. This week’s result from Morgan was the Coalition’s best since October, making a full 1.0% of difference on the two-party reading and giving the Coalition a four-seat boost on the seat projection. Newspoll’s quarterly state breakdowns have also been added to the model, which means there’s more movement than usual this week at state level. Labor’s rather excessive projected gains in Queensland have been moderated to the tune of three, and they’re also off one each in New South Wales and Tasmania, while gaining one in Western Australia. Nothing new this week on leadership ratings.
Added attractions:
• As I always do after Newspoll’s quarterly breakdowns are published, I now offer a full suite of state-level BludgerTrack breakdowns featuring primary vote details and trend charts.
• Seat of the Week is back in new-and-improved form, and will henceforth be published every Wednesday evening concurrently with BludgerTrack. Today’s entry is Corangamite.
• In addition to the state breakdowns highlighted here the other day, The Australian has also published quarterly Newspoll breakdowns by gender and age.
• The Age reports that ReachTEL conducted polling of four marginal seats for United Voice, including a survey of 707 respondents in Eden-Monaro that credited Labor with a lead of 57-43. There was also said to be a “swing to Labor” in Bonner (Queensland), Hindmarsh (South Australia) and Swan (Western Australia), though I’m unclear if that means they were in front. (UPDATE: The West Australian reports the Swan result gives Labor a 54.7-45.3 lead on respondent-allocated preferences, from primary votes of 40.1% Liberal, 37.2% Labor and 10.5% Greens – hat-tip to Leroy Lynch).
BK
What’s the make of the heat pump? Perhaps just the first letter of the make?
Why r u running it at night anyway? Isn’t it more efficient for it to run when air temp is highest?
A noisy heat pump at night is about as welcome a sound as Crabbe whining about a nanny state.
[948
Happiness]
That’s the near-doubling in net liabilities in just 18 months by a Government that’s never seen a tax break it didn’t like.
This carbon farming lark is looking like a great money spinner for farmers with non-productive land to spare..
Won’t do much for carbon abatement, but..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-12/analysts-say-direct-action-auction-is-likely-to-fall-short/6383822
TH:
Indeed. Ms Abbott is hardly paying market price for her accommodation. For me it raises the question of using these empty govt-owned homes to help address homelessness. If the PM isn’t going to live there, then let’s use the building for something more meaningful and beneficial than enabling his daughter to move out of home.
Socrates:
I know what you mean, and yes it’s frustrating. In WA there have been numerous protests around Serco’s track record, particularly in relation to prisons. Maybe there just isn’t the diversity of providers in that field?
Gerard Henderson denies he’s a journo. Fair enough. He’s not one of the Press Gallery. So why should he appear on the Insiders? He connects everything to that dreadful Labor Party and their conspirators, the Greens. He’ll even go back into history to reference people ‘appointed by Labor’ when it has no relevance to the conversation.
Almost every one of his appearances ends with the rest of the panel arguing against him – even Nikki and friends 😀
Australian Greens health spokesperson and, former drug and alcohol clinician, Dr Richard Di Natale, will be introducing an amendment to the Broadcast Services Act in the first sitting week of parliament in May.
http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/greens-push-to-ban-unhealthy-ads-from-tv-during-kids-viewing-times-20150411-1middo.html
[Television advertisements for alcohol, gambling and junk food would be banned from being shown during sporting matches and other children’s viewing times, under legal changes proposed by the Greens.
Mike Daube, the Director of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth at Curtin University, said there had been no action on this issue since the National Preventative Health Taskforce six years ago, and something needed to be done to close “loopholes a mile wide”.
“This is a very welcome and important initiative,” he said. “There is clear evidence from both areas that children are influenced by TV advertising and promotion.”]
I reckon we should allow the tax deductions but insist that AFTER such deductions, any individual or corporation must still pay a floor tax rate of x % (to be determined but could be set at 10% or 15% etc).
That way, all the expensive lawyers and accountants can only get you so far, and after you get down to 10% or 15% or whatever the floor level is set at, you can’t avoid any more.
Cant we solve the tax exporting problem by setting a tax rate for all products SOLD here, rather than a tax rate only for income earned here?
lizzie@956
Gerard provides splendid comedy relief, particularly when he teams with David Marr.
I have never understood those who do not appreciate his comedy genius. 😐
Pegasus:
That is a great move by the Greens…..hope it succeeds.
[957
Pegasus
Australian Greens health spokesperson and, former drug and alcohol clinician, Dr Richard Di Natale, will be introducing an amendment to the Broadcast Services Act in the first sitting week of parliament in May.]
I fully support this. Such advertising should be prohibited at all times and all media imho. Of course, the LNP, which is in shared ownership by the gaming and alcohol industries will oppose it.
Happiness@959
It seems bleeding obvious to me that tax should be paid where the economic activity occurs.
How tax on profit derived from retail sales activities in Australia can end up being paid in another country just defies belief.
This one of a number of tax issues that need to be sorted out.
lizzie:
Given how much Henderson has dedicated his writing career to complaining about the ABC, I’ve never understood why he continues to appear on its shows.
[959
Happiness]
The problem with foreign on line purchases is determining the point of sale. Is it in this jurisdiction? How can it been when the vendor is in another country and cannot be forced to register for GST?
The tax could be changed so that it is levied on buyers rather than on sellers.
The punters would hate it. They would be liable to pay tax (it wouldn’t be GST, but some other tax) directly to the ATO.
[948
Happiness]
That’s the same Government that tried and failed to attack social incomes at the same time that market incomes have been stagnating; the same one who thinks the best way to restore energy in the economy is for households to go much further into debt.
Simon Katich
It is a German-manufactured unit made by Thermann. It also crossed my mind that the extra air temperature in daytime would offset the lower tariff in off-peak times. I’ll investigate further.
Markjs
Carbon farming has merit. farmers are best placed to be the land carers; win win potential. the land management agreements done well and policed add further benefit.
Can this government be trusted to implement this? Will the admin and policing be properly funded?
It’s one of the better elements of Direct Action.
briefly@965
It seems to me that we can cut through all the obfuscation about where the transaction occurs by asking one simple question. “Whose credit card or bank account got debited for the goods or services supplied?”
Where the transaction is a purchase from overseas, use the financial system to capture the GST.
[It seems bleeding obvious to me that tax should be paid where the economic activity occurs.]
So the question is (and the OECD is looking at it) when the book seller is in Singapore and the buyer is in Perth, where does that economic activity occur? As a massive resource exporter we don’t really want the answer to always be Perth.
So if the iron exporter is in Perth and the buyer is in Singapore where is the economic activity?
I think there is some room to move with purely electronic transactions (advertising on Google) to tax them in the country viewing the advertising, but in situations with established PE rules you need to renegotiate every single one of your Double Tax Agreements.
958
Happiness
The best way to tax bulk commodity exports is by imposing an export duty. This not only taxes producers but also buyers!
[briefly
….Happiness
That’s the same Government that tried and failed to attack social incomes at the same time that market incomes have been stagnating; the same one who thinks the best way to restore energy in the economy is for households to go much further into debt.]
You criticise the government for going further into debt and then criticise them for reducing spending because households are in debt.
What is your solution to the debt problem?
[969
bemused]
But what about those purchases made when a person actually is overseas? How would the card issuer know when to collect tax? could they be forced to collect tax in another jurisdiction?
And what about remittances from Australia that are not in connection with taxable purchases at all but are simply money transfers for other reasons? How could these payments be distinguished from purchases?
[972
Happiness
briefly
….Happiness
What is your solution to the debt problem?]
Elect a Labor Government. They are much, much better at public finance than the LNP and always have been.
[The tax could be changed so that it is levied on buyers rather than on sellers.
The punters would hate it. They would be liable to pay tax (it wouldn’t be GST, but some other tax) directly to the ATO.]
There are two GST’s in question in an import situation. The first (which is waived for purchases under a threshold) is a GST on importation (that is whoever shows up at customs and does the customs entry needs to pay that GST or seek the exemption).
The second is whether or not the supplier is registered or required to be registered. For actual goods (like a book or bike clothes) the test is whether or not the supplier is going to make more than $75,000 of supplies connected to Australia. The supply will be connected to Australia if the supplier arranges the international transport, and will not be connected to Australia if the purchaser arranges the international transport (although I don’t think the sites even bother with making the customer contract with the transport company).
This well resourced efficient ATO (what a bunch of lies the ATO told the senate inquiry) can’t even enforce the existing law in this respect what hope have they of enforcing a reverse charge tax on the purchaser.
What would the ALP do?
You say there is too much debt
Then you criticise moves to reduce the debt
It is almost like you are just hypercritical of the Liberal party and use any crazy inconsistent lines you can think of at the time!
briefly@973
Administrative details for the ATO to sort out.
[The best way to tax bulk commodity exports is by imposing an export duty. This not only taxes producers but also buyers!]
I like the idea of a Resource Rent Tax properly implemented so that it doesn’t act as an additional break on investment in difficult times and doesn’t give our resources away for free in the really good times.
[It is almost like you are just hypercritical of the Liberal party and use any crazy inconsistent lines you can think of at the time!]
You’ve been watching Tony but accidentally typed Liberal where you mean Labor. It is sad but that is a very accurate summary of what the most useless and dishonest PM this country has ever seen does.
[briefly
…What is your solution to the debt problem?
Elect a Labor Government.]
Well lets looks at the data:
During times with ALP governments, Australia’s economic growth has been lower (compared with LNP)
During times with ALP governments, Australia has been in deficit on average (compared with surplus on average with LNP)
….oopps….your rantings are looking like they lack any substance!
[You criticise the government for going further into debt and then criticise them for reducing spending because households are in debt.]
government debt is not the same as household debt.
[971
briefly
958
Happiness
The best way to tax bulk commodity exports is by imposing an export duty. This not only taxes producers but also buyers!]
The duty could be 20-25% of the Commercial Invoice value. Exporters would have to be licenced so that third parties, agents, brokers and dummy shippers and/or buyers could not be used to buy or sell products.
When liability for company tax is computed, export tax paid would be taken into account in a similar way to the imputation system now allows with respect to dividends, though there would no net tax credit (reimbursement).
[Well lets looks at the data:
During times with ALP governments, Australia’s economic growth has been lower (compared with LNP)
During times with ALP governments, Australia has been in deficit on average (compared with surplus on average with LNP)
….oopps….your rantings are looking like they lack any substance!]
Lets look at the relevant data, new economy built by Keating, boom wasted by Howard, GFC averted by Swan, economy well managed by Swan, Hockey a hopeless joke.
[980
Happiness]
Your claims are just spurious. Labor has always done a better job of adapting to changing circumstances, modernising the economy, sustaining both employment and income growth. This is their mission. The LNP just waste time and wreck things. They’re doing the same thing now.
[The duty could be 20-25% of the Commercial Invoice value. Exporters would have to be licenced so that third parties, agents, brokers and dummy shippers and/or buyers could not be used to buy or sell products.]
You are worse than the greens! Iron Ore and Coal would be shut down immediately.
[977
bemused
briefly@973
969
bemused
But what about those purchases made when a person actually is overseas? How would the card issuer know when to collect tax? could they be forced to collect tax in another jurisdiction?
And what about remittances from Australia that are not in connection with taxable purchases at all but are simply money transfers for other reasons? How could these payments be distinguished from purchases?
Administrative details for the ATO to sort out.]
There are millions of transactions each week. They cannot be sorted out “administratively”.
[There are millions of transactions each week. They cannot be sorted out “administratively”.]
Particularly when they are not currently up to the job with existing income tax and GST law.
Qanda panel tomorrow:
[Peter Greste – Foreign correspondent for Al Jazeera
Mitch Fifield – Assistant Minister for Social Services
Alannah MacTiernan – Shadow Parliamentary Sec. for Regional Development
Malarndirri McCarthy – Executive Producer, NITV News
Su McCluskey – CEO of the Regional Australia Institute]
[briefly
….Happiness
Your claims are just spurious. Labor has always done a better job of adapting to changing circumstances, modernising the economy, sustaining both employment and income growth. This is their mission. The LNP just waste time and wreck things. They’re doing the same thing now.]
OK, lets look at the data on ‘sustaining employment’:
On average, when ALP governments are in power unemployment has been higher
What about ‘sustaining income growth’?
On average, when ALP governments are in power, income growth (non-farm) has been lower
Oops…..0 out of 4 so far…..any other economic indicators you want to discuss?
:devil:
[WeWantPaul
….Lets look at the relevant data, new economy built by Keating, boom wasted by Howard, GFC averted by Swan, economy well managed by Swan, Hockey a hopeless joke.]
Those aren’t data, those are opinions.
I was presenting actual hard data……however, I understand the fear here about presenting the actual facts. Go ahead with the self-reassuring spin if that makes you feel better!
I’m sorry, but this is funny, and at least it ended well.
Socks can be really dangerous.
[Police were first called to Moodemere Street house in Noble Park, about 10.15am on Friday, when one of the man’s family members raised concerns about his behaviour.
The man had barricaded himself inside the property and set fire to it at around 11pm on Friday night, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
The man also set fire to a pair of socks and threw them out the window.
Country Fire Authority crews quickly extinguished the fires.]
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/noble-park-siege-ends-after-police-use-nonlethal-shots-20150411-1mj1o5.html
[I was presenting actual hard data]
You are presenting irrelevant data, if the credit for even some the data during the Howard years goes to Keating’s reforms and not what Howard did (um he added a great big new tax on almost everything and that was about it right?) then your data is worse than irrelevant it is actually misleading.
So in short both ‘data’ sets rely on opinion, I’m just honest enough to state my assumptions.
[985
WeWantPaul]
Well, the share of profits in the economy is around 20-25%. so we would be saying profits on commodity production should be about the same. A turnover tax would capture the profits, some of which would be rebated back to producers when they lodge their returns.
It’s very easy for the commodity producers to shift their sales revenue into other jurisdictions and earn their profits from “trading” in their own commodities rather than from “extracting” them.
The iron price is now, say $50/tonne. a 20% levy would generate $10/tonne.
In the good old days coal exports were subject to an export franchise fee. Howard abolished it.
It is a lot simpler than chasing companies through the courts, year after year.
My own view is that, at the end of the day, bulk resource exploitation is bad for the economy. Most of the investment flows from abroad. Most of the profits are repatriated abroad. When booms are on they result in highly disruptive capital inflows which upsets the exchange rate and the domestic sector. I reckon we should tax them heavily.
What do bludgers think?
[Many Iranian refugees are held at the Manus Island detention centre, where about 40 per cent of those assessed have been given “negative refugee status” initial assessments. Thousands more are held on bridging visas on the Australian mainland.
“People who arrived illegally by boat – some will be found to be refugees and some won’t,” Mr Abbott said on Saturday. “It’s important that those found not to be refugees go home. This is where we’ll be talking to the Iranian government about taking back people who are Iranian citizens because they deserve to be in Iran, they belong in Iran, if they are found not to be genuine refugees.”
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said he supported returning failed asylum seekers to their home country as long as Australia meets its international obligations.
But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said that returning asylum seekers to Iran would “put the lives of men, women and children at higher risk”.]
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-confirms-bid-to-return-iranian-asylum-seekers-to-iran-20150411-1miz3f.html
989
Happiness
You don’t have comparable data. the only way we could compare the performance of Labor and the LNP in the way you suggest and derive meaningful results would be if they had both been in power in the same economy at the same time. Obviously this could not occur. What we can say is the LNP are useless economic managers. The Howard Government wrecked the fiscal settings, broke the Federal compact, supported an incredible expansion in system-wide debt and undermined economy-wide investment for a generation. They were the biggest waste since the Fraser Government.
989
Lies, damned lies and statistics
Good morning all,
I am sick and tired of big business and its backers in this country going on and on about the need to increase the GST and reduce company tax.
GST is a regressive tax so shove any increase where the sun don’t shine.
If business is so keen for a company tax cut by all means reduce it by 1.2. 3% but make it applicable to all Australian generated income at the set rate end of story.
No movement overseas, no other forms of minimization allowed.
Big Business in this country is getting away with paying an effective rate of just under 20% so close it up, get them paying at the legislated rate on what they earn in Australia without any minimization allowed.
Much fairer on all and in fact would save them millions in accounting charges !
As well this would have minimal effect on small business as most small business in Australia operates as sole traders or partnerships of my understanding is correct.
I am sure it would not be as simple as the above outline but hey just a thought.
cheers.
[http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-confirms-bid-to-return-iranian-asylum-seekers-to-iran-20150411-1miz3f.html]
I can’t see how anyone leaving Iran isn’t a genuine refugee. In fact I couldn’t imagine any woman leaving anywhere in the middle east isn’t a genuine refugee.
Good morning lizzie,
I agree with Shorten. As long as all international obligations are meet.
Have a good day all.
So the Howard government were the biggest waste since the Fraser Government.
So you don’t like the previous 2 LNP governments. I can see how that diminishes my arguments that your comments are party political cockamamie nonsense