It looks like we’ll have an extra $6 in our pockets each week following Peter Costello’s 10th Federal Budget which he handed down yesterday.
I have mixed feelings about it all. For people like us on very low incomes, $6 a week will be helpful. It’ll help to offset the rapidly rising cost of petrol. Even though I don’t drive a lot myself, Pauline needs to keep our car on the road to get the kids to school and for other running around. Higher income earners, by the very nature of the fact that they earn a lot more, will see a greater tax benefit from the cuts.
I’m happy for everyone to get a tax break but I wonder what kind of infrastrucure could be improved to benefit every Australian equally if the government held onto the almost 22 billion dollars it’ll take to pay for the cuts.
Labor leader, Kim Beazley, has already vowed to block the tax cuts in the senate. I only hope that he can communicate why he feels it’s the best course of action. I think that the Australian public is smart enough to understand why Beazley is doing what he’s doing but there’s always the danger of him being seen as the guy who is trying to stop them receiveing a little extra in their pay packet.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
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I think Beazley is grandstanding here for no particular reason than to appear strong and adversarial. I agree with his right to protest about what he disagrees with in the Budget but to talk about blocking it in the senate is a waste of time. All that would do would be to delay the introduction of this until July when the coalition gets senate control.
I agree that these tax cuts aren’t a lot of help for those who just get the $6 a week – I’d be feeling pretty hard done by if I were in that group. I’ve heard several commentators say that there is still a lot of room for a substantial tax break for middle incomes in the next couple of years so hopefully that will happen. Although I personally like this $86 tax cut I don’t think it’s the best thing for everyone – there needs to be more tax relief for those on middle incomes especially – that’s where it is needed most and also where it will play the biggest role of an incentive to work as well.
I am in the $6 group and yes, I’m feeling pretty hard done by. It would be great to provide tax relief for middle income earners but those of us on low incomes could certainly do with some help too. 🙂
I agree that Beazley is only stalling the cuts until July by blocking them in the senate, but it would be hypocritical for him to vote for something to which he is opposed just becasue it’s going to happen anyway.