The GST should have been on everything including fresh/ uncooked food, online tranactions are no different.
The question is, why did the Liberal Party support a GST under Howard but not under Keating, who had the courage to argue its benifits a long time ago.

codswal wrote on Dec 19^th, 2010 at 9:04am:




So you are happy tho squeeze the budget of Australians via higher taxes codswal?


How about a carbon tax on electricity?

even if a GST was applied to under $1000 imports, they would still be far cheaper than the retail prices they charge here.


I'll get some examples of what i bought for christmas,

these asics I got free postage on from Amazon ($150AUD when converdted from USD)

http://www.amazon.com/ASICS-Gel-Kayano-Running-Black-Lightning/dp/B003OYJ4CO/ref=sr_1_5?s=shoes&ie=UTF8&qid=1292727634&sr=1-5&searchContext=B002EQAN3M,B0031Y6M8G,B002EQA3OG,B001KYH4E0,B003OYJ4CO,B00290SY0M,B002QGU9MA,B00290PEY6,B002EQ9VOY,B0031Y6MYK,B0031Y6MJ0,B0031Y6OQQ,B002EQ9ZOA,B0032FOES4,B0029LI2WQ,B002QGUE7K,B002EQ9UG8,B0029LI8WK,B0031Y6SI0,B003OYJNF2,B00386GDEK,B0031Y6PSS,B000COYVKE,B003OYIXGW


these are the same shoe from rebel sport  ($260)

http://www.rebelsport.com.au/ecom/rebel/product_detail.aspx?id=35832&cat=

aussiefree2ride wrote on Dec 19^th, 2010 at 1:47pm:



http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/guide/senate.htm



Between 1996 and 1999, the Howard government needed two votes to pass legislation. First stop was Tasmanian Independent Senator Brian Harradine. The defection of Queensland Labor Senator Mal Colston to the cross benches gave the Howard government a second port of call. On other legislation the Howard government could negotiate with the Australian Democrats. For instance, the government found it easier to negotiate its first changes to industrial relations legislation with the Australian Democrats, the past Labor allegiances of Senators Harradine and Colston making them much less willing participants.

After the 1998 election, the Howard government was set to be in a weaker Senate position from July 1999 when the Australian Democrats recovered the balance of power. After failing to obtain the support of Senators Harradine and Colston to pass its GST tax reform package, the Howard government was forced to negotiate passage with the Australian Democrats. This was passed before the Australian Democrats re-gained the balance of power. (As a side-light, the passage relied on Coalition Senators elected in 1993 when the GST cost John Hewson the election, and in 1996 when the Coalition promised not to bring in a GST.)


As you can see, the conservative Liberals support a Goods and Services Tax on shop goods. Now do they support a level playing field with the internet.

It is hard to predict which way they will flop now days.

adelcrow wrote on Dec 19^th, 2010 at 8:38am:


You mean the 1985 Tax Summit where keating argued for a GST and was rolled by his own cabinet? the Libs would have supported a GST had there actualyl been one to support!  The real question is why a mere 8 years later did Keating campaign AGAINST the libs on the basis of his own preferred policy?  Pure hypocrisy from an acknowledged master of the art!

____ wrote on Dec 19^th, 2010 at 10:24am:




I look at it this way woody... if I had a little shop paying high rent taxes electricity wages.. all to sell T shirts..doing my bit for the country so to speak...

I would resent very much Mr and Mrs Smith being able to buy the same thing cheaper on the net [probably from a foreign country]. therefore doing absolutely NOTHING for my country...


people are buying anything and everything on the net now.. none of it doing this country a bit of good.. unless you are in the Courier business.

as for the climate change TAX you refer to no you can forget that that is just going to be extortion and will do not a thing to change our weather patterns..its just an excuse to tax us without us being taxed if you get my drift?????.

you may be fooled by all that hogwash but it doesnt fool me sorry.

look you pay it by all means tell them to take double your tax right now to help towards saving gods earth.. I dare you.. ha.ha. it wont happen thats how convinced you are

but keep looking down your nose at all those nonbelievers.. must make you feel 5feet tall.

codswal wrote on Dec 19^th, 2010 at 5:33pm:



The first couple of sentences are a reflection of why you fear life codswal. Rather that expect everything on a platter, sometimes thinking away from the old ways is the path for the future. Rather than peddle the same old same old, to compete in a world market, you lead, rather than follow at the back.