Saturday 30th of March 2024

a spewed dog's breakfast...

private health

History is repeating itself. Medicare was created by the Whitlam government because of the abject failure of private health insurance or, as it was then called, voluntary health insurance.

As a result of the growth of private health insurance since 1999 under the Howard government, Medicare is now seriously threatened. Government subsidies for private health insurance will take us back to the pre-Whitlam and pre-Medicare era.

The Australian government today knows that private health insurance is in real trouble. But for ideological reasons it wants to prop up what John Howard foisted on us in 1999. That is the reason for the current review. It is like putting lipstick on a pig.

read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/apr/20/propping-up-priva...

 

healthy housing market for some...

There's no housing affordability crisis in the ranks of Federal Parliament's members and senators.

Key points
  • The average property-owning parliamentarian has 2.4 titles to their name
  • There are more primary residences than politicians
  • Only 10 out of the 226 elected officials do not own property

 

The politicians charged with tackling the thorny issue of spiralling house prices are among the nation's most aggressive property investors, an analysis by the ABC has revealed.

The 226 individuals own 524 properties between them and about half of them own investment properties.

That means many of our politicians have a very personal interest in any changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount.

You can search your local member's property interests here.

read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-20/housing-affordability-decisions-ma...

an economic "model"... is this a joke?

The blueprints for the impending US fiscal reform can be found in other nations' experience, and whilst the Congress GOP would favour the European-style austerity measures in order to achieve budget revenue neutrality, the White House is looking at Australia's recent experience in increased infrastructure investment.

 

President Trump wants to cut business income taxes to 15pc and lower individual income taxes across-the-board, also simplifying the tax code by replacing the existing seven tax brackets to just three. Whilst the announcement, which will be delivered on Wednesday, is still subject of discussions between the administration, the Congress and the Treasury officials, the White House provided a preliminary outline of the key elements of the reform package.

read more:

https://sputniknews.com/business/201704251052972173-us-australia-fiscal-...