Re: Aus Federal Politics thread (IV)

[vilkrang]

Ah right, I thought you meant you downloaded the new series (which I obviously didn't do, because it's illegal).

[G.Wood]

I don't even own a computer

[Henry]

Carbon Tax passed by the House of Reps, and sure to be passed by the Green dominated Senate.

Australia in crisis.

[horace]

lol at mudge...how is the english economy travelling?

[Henry]

Umm, what's that got to do with Australia implementing a carbon tax?

Take your meds you old goat.

[Paul Keating]

Treve

Without resorting to Google and other references. Tell me off hand what the carbon tax will do to the economy.

[Henry]

Well thanks to all of the Government's 'compensations' for tax payers, introduced to help ease the blow of the carbon tax, it will do absolutely nothing to the economy, but absolutely nothing for the environment as well, because with all of the compensations that the Government is providing, where will be the incentive to reduce carbon emissions?

Basically, it's a nothing tax- it will achieve nothing, and add a little more to some bills whilst taking a little away from others. It's useless, and has only been implemented because the Greens told Labor to implement it otherwise they would withdraw their needed support. And lets weigh up what the tax would have actually achieved even if a lack of compensations meant Australians felt the need to cut back on emissions- Perhaps Australia's carbon emissions would have been reduced from 1% to 0.9% of the World's total emissions. Big bloody deal....As it is, that wont even happen.

And all this whilst Australia continues to ship thousands of tonnes of iron ore and coal to two of the biggest polluters, China and India on a daily basis, in order to keep the economy afloat.Hypocritical in the f*cking extreme. Because where would Australia's economy be right now without the mining industry? Up sh*t creek just like Europe and the United States, that's where.

[Paul Keating]

So how is this tax going to destory the economy again?

And regarding the reliance on mining. That is whose fault?

[Zat]

Ah, so Trev listens to Alan Jones...

with all of the compensations that the Government is providing, where will be the incentive to reduce carbon emissions?

Allow me to put this situation to you. Because I was at a business about a decade ago that downsized rather dramatically. The parallel applies to the situation once the Carbon Tax comes in.

Say you own a company that makes a profit of 10 million dollars a year, based on a turnover of 100 million dollars.

When the Carbon Tax comes in, with the compensation measures, if you do nothing, then you wind up exactly the same. But here's the tricky bit. If you do something to reduce your emissions, your expenses will go down, your turnover will go down. Now your profits may not go up, they'll probably stay the same.

But in a capitalist market, the lure of the dollar is enormous, and a business that is making a 10 million dollar profit on a turnover of 90 million dollars is going to prove move popular for investors and shareholders than one making 10M on a 100M turnover. That's the theory of how it works.

Is it cumbersome? Yes. Will it reduce Australia's emissions? Probably. Will that make a difference to the world? Maybe, maybe not. Is it a better way of doing it than the 'direct action' plan that Abbott has promised if he becomes PM? To my mind, yes. Will it be more compatible with what other parts of the world have in train or are proposing to do when they pull their fingers out? Another yes.

In the current 'pick the least worst option' political environment we live with, and as both sides have said they'll do 'something' the Vulture's option is the least worst.

[skully]

Lots of "probablys" in there, Z. That's the problem. It's probably a huge waste of time and energy to achieve fark all.

And Z, I am waiting to see how the likes of you and I are affected by this new tax. I expect we will be screwed as usual. I fully expect to be worse off, when this is meant to be a wealth distribution tax. As usual, it will just hammer middle Australia, molly-coddle the bludgers and not touch the rich.

[horace]

skully in sounding like a mad pinko shocker

[JGK]

So now that Tony Abbott has failed in the key thing that he was elected to do by his party, will he resign as party leader?

[Henry]

Are you Malcolm Turnbull?

[skully]

skully in sounding like a mad pinko shocker

Er, what?

[Henry]

The meds have run out, and the nurses are on strike.