So what differentiate the parties?


Post the positives of Your preferred Party Policies ... without the spin

The Greens’ climate change policies and focus on social justice are widely known. However, for most people, it all comes back to the question, how much will it cost? The driving force behind the Greens economic policies is the belief that there is no economy without the environment. Their thinking is, our resources are finite so how can one expect infinite growth? The trouble with this is that the current global economic system relies on growth.

From a social justice perspective, the Greens say that widening gaps between the rich and poor mean essential services are being cut back. The Greens strongly argue that the revenue raised from higher taxes should be for the purpose of all Australians.

The Greens believe their policies for improved education, infrastructure like high speed rail, better health care services, especially for indigenous Australians justify heavy taxation. The economic policies are radical as the strong emphasis on the environment, infrastructure and improved social services relies on heavy taxes as well limited economic growth.


Some of the Greens’ economic policies include:

A progressive taxation system where those who earn more, pay more. This includes increasing tax to 50% for those who earn $1m or over
Lowering tax on small business to 28%
Removing Fringe Benefits Tax which promote increased use of motor vehicles
Removing concessional arrangements for Capital Gains Tax
Ensuring the mining tax returns to the proposed Resource Super Profits Tax, not the Minerals Resource Rent Tax
Introduce an estate tax, otherwise known as death duties, This is where individual’s assets are taxed when they die. Under this policy the family home, farm and small business will be protected with a threshold of up to $5 million. Australia had federal and state estate taxes that were abolished in 1979. Incidentally, the Henry Tax Review contained a recommendation for the re-introduction of an estate tax which the ALP rejected.
Abolishing the 30% Private Health Insurance Rebate in order to increase funding for public hospitals
Tax family trusts in the same way companies are taxed
Conduct an inquiry with a view to implement changes to the tax system addressing any negative impacts of the GST
Implement a shift in the tax system to place more taxes on natural resources and pollution (hence support for a carbon tax and the mining tax)
Implement measures at all levels of government to incorporate social, environmental and financial impacts into policy development and assessment (this is called triple bottom line reporting)



Other policies include:

ASYLUM SEEKERS: End mandatory detention for asylum seekers

EDUCATION: Every child in Australia to have access to at least two years of public preschool education & for schools funding to be placed on an equitable footing by reversing the excessive increases in Commonwealth funding to non-government schools in recent years

INTERNET: The Greens support the ALP’s National Broadband Network but oppose the mandatory internet filter (Cheat sheet on filter here http://www.mamamia.com.au/weblog/2010/07/mamamia-cheat-sheet-the-mandatory-internet-filter.html)

DISABILITY: Allow full tax deductibility for any aids, devices, special equipment or services that directly assist people with disability in finding a job.

PRISONERS:  Implement alternatives to imprisonment, where appropriate, including restorative justice and diversionary programs.

HEALTH: Make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s health a funding priority, with a focus on community-controlled health services and additional community-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child-care services

DRUGS: Introduce the regulated use of cannabis for specified medical purposes, such as intractable pain. Increase the availability of harm reduction programs, including needle and syringe exchanges and medically supervised injecting rooms and implement a rigorous scientific trial of prescribed heroin to registered users in line with the proposed 1996 ACT government heroin trial.

MARRIAGE: Legislate to allow marriage regardless of sexuality or gender identity.

GENDER IDENTITY: Establish intersex as a gender recognised by the legal system. Support gender assignment for people born with an intersex condition being made only when they are able to express personal sexual identity”.

FOREIGN AID: Increase foreign aid to 0.7% and create a separate minister for international development as well as an independent AusAID

ARTS: Increase funding incentives for artists and arts events to tour and/or establish  in rural and regional areas.

SEX: End the criminalisation of consensual adult sex workers.

INTERNET: The Greens support the ALP’s National Broadband Network but oppose the mandatory internet filter

http://www.mamamia.com.au/weblog/2010/08/the-greens-read-this-2min-cheat-sheet-before-you-vote.html

Quote:

as it is, those that earn more pay more.
increasing tax rates can be counterproductive.
grow up, get in the real world.

Quote:

SO, just let everyone in ?

EDUCATION: Every child in Australia to have access to at least two years of public preschool education
the system could not handle it.

PRISONERS:  Implement alternatives to imprisonment, where appropriate, including restorative justice and diversionary programs.

this is currently the case.

HEALTH: Make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s health a funding priority, with a focus on community-controlled health services and additional community-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child-care services

status quo

By opposing the CPRS the Greens made it very hard to build renewable energy projects—the certificates are worth nothing.

Greens policy is halfarsed, ideals put up but no reality behind them. that will make them worse than even the Libs policies a lot of the time.

____ wrote on Aug 19^th, 2010 at 9:36am:

Most small businesses are lucky to make a $100k profit a year.

Your 2% tax saves them a whole $2k.

How many people can you employ for that?

Verge wrote on Aug 19^th, 2010 at 9:41am:




Got a link to prove your statistic ?

or was it pulled from an orifice?

____ wrote on Aug 19^th, 2010 at 9:43am:



It's hardly rocket science Green.

LOL.

____ wrote on Aug 19^th, 2010 at 9:53am:


I was never voting green, I was going to preference them second, until I read in the last Saturdays Border Mail paper the greens position on that mine.

Knowing people out there and how much that area is struggling, I cant endorse the greens.

Like I said, I know first hand how much most small companies make, and its never any more than $60k or so.

If you knew anything about Taxation and the treatment of small business, you would know your 28% doesnt mean jack poo because a vast majority of small businesses are mum and dad partnerships, and are not covered by company tax law.  You would also know that the ones that do run as a company, by the time they take their salaries out which the pay tax on in their personal returns, the company usually doesnt make much more than $40k to $80k.

But heck, what would I know, I only did it for a living.