HalfEarthMedic

joined 1 month ago
[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I'm not going to spend my afternoon doing calculations to prove my point as what is required is doing the same calculations for other nations, the number you're quoting is not what is meant by marginal tax rate for a start but the linked article provides the context needed.

Again, I have been in the top tax bracket for around a decade and have never paid more than 40% of my taxable income in tax without an accountant

Australia has lower sales taxes, lower income taxes, no requirement for private or employee provided health insurance. It is straightforwardly untrue that Australia is high taxing. Even if it were true then the level of public services provided would make it worthwhile.

Maybe the top tax rate kicks in lower but the tax free threshold is also higher than in most countries which is the correct balance.

[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (10 children)

The highest marginal tax rate for income earners is over 50%. And it takes effect at much lower incomes than other comparable countries.

In Australia? The highest marginal tax rate is 45%, and due to the nature of progressive taxation unless you have an absurdly high income most of the income of even high earners is taxed at a lower rate.

Source: I am in the top tax bracket and until recently did my own taxes

[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 8 points 1 week ago

This comes up periodically and is absolutely true, judged as a liberal economy Australia is generally quite efficiently run with below average taxes and above average services. Which is no excuse for not trying to do better and indeed think outside the liberal box.

More interesting is that the graph "Breakdown of total tax raised in Australia since WWII" under "Other taxes" there is a spike in 1951. It seems to correlate with the USA stockpiling wool as part of their strategic reserve and a subsequent speculative bubble.

https://www.winton.com/news/australias-lesser-known-commodities-booms

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185564703

[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 week ago

An interesting take on the geopolitical implications of a China-USA conflict

 

The US geopolitical objective is to destroy China’s power. This is being pursued variously. China’s economy depends on Asian sea traffic. The US military strategy is to sever those sea lanes. Thereby China’s economy is imperilled.

However, as the US itself has claimed (from Obama on) it lacks the resources to achieve its objective. It says it must rely on allies’ support.

Unsaid by US planners is that those same sea lanes upon which China depends are critical also for Japan and Australia. Any pedant can see that the natural allies here are China, Japan and Australia.

[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I wonder how much concern there would be if they were planning to house the poor people in Balga

 

In short: Neighbours say they have been denied proper consultation around the plan to convert Fraser Suites in East Perth into 236 social and affordable housing units.

They want the state government to hold Q+A forums so residents' concerns can be heard.

What's next: A reference group will include members of the community to enable ongoing consultation.

[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 weeks ago

The wording is confusing. Felling in this context just means dying from fire, not cut down.

 

In short: Internal documents from the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions show more than 100 trees were felled in a prescribed burn on WA's south coast last year.

The fire burned 99 per cent of the prescribed area and damaged close to 100 rare red tingle trees that do not grow anywhere else on the planet.

What's next? The Leeuwin group, a consortium of WA's top environmental scientists, has urged the government to amend its burn program to avoid another mass felling.

[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 2 points 3 weeks ago

Perhaps a little wonkish and obscure but worth bringing to light

 

Before the last election, a bureaucrat in the office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet attempted to embed ministerial blindness into the conventions of our government.

2.6 Following the end of the caretaker period and once a new government is appointed, successive governments have accepted the convention that ministers do not seek access to documents recording the deliberations of ministers in previous governments.

One only has to think for about 20 milliseconds to realise how detrimental that advice would be.

 

Despite outcry from the opposition, about 57 per cent of seniors endorse the change, according to a survey of 3000 people aged 50 and older conducted by National Seniors Australia for the Super Members Council.

The results appear to track with broader public sentiment on Labor’s bill, Super Members Council CEO Misha Schubert said.

 

A growing chorus is calling for Australia’s republic conversation to focus less on symbolism and more on empowering local communities through real structural reform, writes Kaijin Solo.

[–] HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net 9 points 1 month ago

Private schools add literally no value to society. Study after study have shown absolutely no correlation between private schooling and eventual income/self reported happiness/career satisfaction/tertiary education success (after controlling for parental income and education level).

What private schools do is reduce social cohesion by segregating children by income and religion. Funny how conservatives are always in favoir of social cohesion when they are using it as a racist dog whistle but not where it actually matters.

I don't know if I'd go so far as banning private schools(some Montessori or Bush Schools etc may actually add value) but I certainly don't think these class exclusionary bohemoths should be getting any public grants or tax concessions.