Battle over tax leaves Labor with bloody nose
Battle over tax leaves Labor with bloody nose
The deal Julia Gillard has done on the mining tax is bad for her government’s reputation, bad for democracy and bad for the future of economic reform, but not too bad for the economy.
The immediate reaction of most parties will be relief. What was seen as a great threat has gone away.
The big miners will be quietly congratulating themselves on the extent of their victory, but leaving it to their friendly business commentators to do the crowing for them.
Concessions extracted from the government because the big mining companies were holding a gun to its head will be interpreted as proof that all the miners’ dubious arguments against the resources super profits tax were valid.
But the initial emotional reaction to the deal is one thing, the longer-term consequences are another.
Young SA Drivers banned from high-powered cars
NB. All states should introduce this ban.
Young SA drivers banned from high-powered cars
Updated
Young drivers to be banned from high-powered cars due to accident risk
A list of high-powered cars to be banned for P-plate drivers under 25 has been released by the South Australian Government.
The ban from September includes any petrol car that is turbo-charged or super-charged or has an engine with eight or more cylinders.
Among the banned cars are some BMWs and Nissans, the Honda NSX, Mercedes Benz SLK-350 and any Porsche made after 1994.
Gillard announces mining tax changes
Gillard announces mining tax changes AAP July 2, 2010, 9:24 am 79 Comments AAP © Enlarge photo The federal government will limit its new resources tax to just 320 companies mining iron ore, coal, oil and gas. It has dropped its plan for a resource super profits tax and replaced it with a Continue Reading →
Greens say they’re crucial to mining tax
Greens say they’re crucial to mining tax AAP July 1, 2010, 2:50 pm 4 Comments The Australian Greens say they will be in a key position to amend mining tax legislation if, as expected, they hold the balance of power after the next federal election. Any agreement between the mining sector and the Continue Reading →
Wilderness Society head facing the chop
Wilderness Society head facing the chop
Updated
Board replaced: Wilderness Society executive director Alec Marr says he is unsure about his future (AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo)
Wilderness Society executive director Alec Marr says he is unsure about his future after a new management committee was elected at the organisation’s AGM in Adelaide last night.
The majority of voters elected to replace the entire board with eight new members following months of factional infighting between the former committee, led by Mr Marr, and the new board led by David Mackenzie.
The Death of Irony (MONBIOT)
The Death of Irony
How could the intent of today’s column have passed so many people by?
By George Monbiot. Published on the Guardian’s website, 29th June 2010
Before today’s column went to press, I checked it with friends and editors: could an intelligent reader possibly construe it as anything other than irony? No, I was assured by everyone, that simply wasn’t possible. Well I suppose I have to get used to the fact that life is a series of disappointments. As a string of outraged comments, posted online and by email, testify, quite a few of our readers are, to be polite, somewhat literal-minded.
Never mind that both the text and the sub-heading included the term “a modest proposal”. Never mind that it refers in the first paragraph to the crime of being young in a public place. Never mind that I proposed imprisoning all children and putting them to work sewing mailsacks. Never mind that I suggested they could obtain vocational qualifications by being sent down the mines and up chimneys; none of this set the alarm bells ringing. If some people can’t detect such warning signs, no wonder they fall prey so easily to the cranks and conspiracy theorists who populate cyberspace.