What's All This Money For?
Friday, July 13, 2001
How does the ordinary Australian citizen contribute to government revenue? Let me count the ways. There’s the GST, which is 10% for everyone. Then there’s Worker’s Tax — which still ranges up to 48.5%.
Next is Addicts’ Tax, an extra big take from heavy drinkers, smokers or gamblers.
And finally there’s Driver’s Tax, the millions of dollars collected from the roads, masquerading as penalties for anti-social speeding or parking. I doubt that even 5% of speeding tickets relate to irresponsible driving.
And with the parking revenue rackets, as the citizens increasingly obey, the authorities regularly tighten the restrictions so as to maintain their level of revenue.
Workers, Addicts and Drivers spell W, A, D. There’s the GST and then there’s the WAD.
Government services have reduced on many fronts as the user pays principle takes over – even for “services” we don’t want or need, such as instruction on how we may decorate our own homes.
The question that remains unanswered is “What is the government doing with all this money?”
Philip O'Carroll