The Life Gold Pass travel scheme for retired federal MPs has cost taxpayers more than $12 million in the past decade. Retired MPs have virtually ignored a 1996 Government directive to use frequent flyer points acquired on their gold pass to reduce travel costs to taxpayers. According to Department of Finance figures tabled in Federal Parliament this week, $10.2 million worth of frequent flyer points remain unaccounted for since the 1996 Howard Government directive that gold pass holders use the points where possible to ease the burden on taxpayers. Since 1996, only $32,164 has been saved by gold pass holders using frequent flyer points Ex-MPs fly free, ignore frequent flyer
Eye on Politics & Law Lords: Getting Down to Brass Tax
Politicians are digging their heels in over dividing the tax spoils
The amount of tax we pay is more than twice the size of the New Zealand economy, so it's not surprising the issue keeps barging to the top of the political agenda.
Australia's golden run of strong economic growth has been kind to federal and state coffers. Tax income for all levels of government will be about $275 billion this financial year, having swelled from $196 billion in 1999-2000.
Despite the surge in revenue, Australia's overall level of taxation as a percentage of gross domestic product still compares favourably with most advanced economies. At 31.5 per cent of the economy, Australia's tax take is well below the average of 36.3 per cent for members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - which includes 30 of the world's richest nations.
• Tax freedom day - from January 24 in 1901 to late April ; What ends up in a bloke's pocket It's not just about tax, PM insists ; It took an amusing word picture from Paul Keating this week to cut through the tedious game of buck passing between the Labor-ruled states and the federal Coalition Government over the GST Give the horse a lump of sugar and it will do a jump for you ; [Sinn Fein MPs stripped of parliament allowances ; Groping MP faces sex assault charge ]
• · The story of Brenton Banfield's rise and fall as Labor's candidate for Mark Latham's seat of Werriwa is the story of a useless, corrupt political machine run by useless, corrupted people. An insider has written the story. It is stunning. A former Wran government minister titles it Stitching up a Decent Man and mailed the story this week to his branch members, 10 days before Werriwa votes. Ironically, Kim Beazley went through the motions of "launching" Labor's Werriwa campaign only yesterday. Polling day is next Saturday. Beazley is fortunate the Liberals aren't running a candidate. Or is he? Labor renders Werriwa indefensible ; Rodney Cavalier, in a full and varied life, is chairman of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust. The Carr Government appointed him four years ago. One of his most agreeable perks these days is to host the chairman's lunch on the opening day of Sydney's New Year Test match. A year ago an animated Mark Latham shared the limelight with John Howard, the two seated either side of Cavalier. This January, Latham went missing Bitter truths the party just won't be told
• · · Last year the shoppers and business owners along Oxford Street in Ingleburn spoke of aspiration and climbing the ladder of opportunity. Yesterday, barely two kilometres from the troubles at Eucalyptus Drive in Macquarie Fields, the talk was less ambitious - giving kids hope, skills and jobs; just a fair chance in life. Labor milks local credentials as byelection drive begins ; The Premier, Bob Carr, took the extraordinary step yesterday of seeking a judge's permission to intervene in a firm's controversial court fight to dismantle Sydney Water's monopoly Carr gets hands dirty over sewers
• · · · Police have arrested the alleged head of a crime syndicate and are investigating "1000 possible suspects" after seizing thousands of fake credit cards, passports and NSW driver's licences in a large identity fraud bust Police smash huge identity fraud ring ; Allan Frederick Hathaway Man still suffering after police assault ; Two retired police detectives have been charged with leading double lives, moonlighting as hit men and carrying out gangland executions Ex-cops killed for the Mafia ; Police commissioner Ken Moroney has emerged as the Opposition's No. 1 target as a political inquest begins into the Macquarie Fields street riots. The Opposition has decided to stop regarding "Uncle Ken" Moroney as a protected species and to go for his scalp over his handling of Macquarie Fields and his "cosy relations" with the Carr Government Moroney to face inquiry over riots ; Front-line police still seething over the Macquarie Fields debacle had two words on their lips yesterday - leadership and resources, or, more accurately, a lack of both. Kelly made us look an embarrassment [Mike Carlton: The faces of Macquarie Fields are fascinating: missing teeth, broken noses, a sullen, truculent glare that somehow combines defiance and defeat. And that is just the women]
• · · · · Exclusive Forty pages of private testimony: Premier Bob Carr has denied he called for the Orange Grove factory outlet to be "screwed over" but he was convinced that corruption was involved in its planning process, he told the state's anti-corruption watchdog. Revealed: Carr's secret testimony to Orange Grove inquiry [Mr Carr said he had lunch with Mr Lowy once or twice a year.] Guilty: There is a problem with defence lawyers using every trick in the book to string things out for their clients Carr backs criticism of defence barristers
• · · · · · A couple of political milestones are grist to the retirement rumour mill A decade of Labor, but Carr's no also-Wran ; NSW Premier Bob Carr has staked his political future on a plan to spend $30 billion rebuilding the state's schools, hospitals and rail network. The move follows criticism that the Government has failed to invest enough in the state's ageing infrastructure since its election in 1995. Bob's Billions ; Last Year exactly Tony Harris explained why Building a Better Future is unlikely to happen in the immediate future... The Need for Policies to Tackle the Chaos
