Scott Morrison declares a growing divide between the taxed and the untaxed. Finally, he's twigged that multinationals are avoiding their responsibilities while PAYG mugs continue to do the heavy lifting. But no, far from attacking inequality at its source, Morrison continues his obsession with demonising welfare recipients. He targets those least able to pay while watching our revenue base evaporate as corporations avoid, minimise and cheat their way out of their obligation to contribute even minimal tax to the society in which they operate. The divide is growing because successive governments have lacked the gumption to tackle the immensely powerful leeches who are sucking society dry. Treasurer, focus on tax cheats. This is the way to budget repair.
Simon Collings, Barwon Heads
![Illustration: Jim Pavlidis](/web/20160929070024im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/1/6/q/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gr14kr.png/1472111205187.jpg)
Investing in housing is a win-win
Here's an idea for cutting the deficit – invest in housing and support for the homeless. As this has been shown to increase tax revenue and reduce various welfare costs, it provides a positive return on the investment in the medium and long term, and is therefore a win-win.
Richard Fone, Camberwell
Cormann's ignorance on show
Matthias Cormann accuses the Opposition Leader of "wibble wobbling like jelly" because he refuses to endorse a budget bill sight unseen. News for Senator Cormann. We pay MPs to read bills and read them carefully. To insult MPs for doing their job is rude and ignorant.
Juliet Flesch, Kew
Bullying and abuse from Coalition
The government's approach to Labor may point to a politically sensible tactic of going around the Senate cross bench. But true to its entitled, arrogant form, Coalition MPs' idea of negotiation is to bully and abuse.
Julian Lloyd, Clifton Hill
Payback time for Labor
I doubt Labor would be pushing for a royal commission into the banks if Tony Abbott had not set up, for political reasons, royal commissions into union behaviour and the home insulation scheme. Both were designed to embarrass Labor – for good reasons in the case of the first, and to pave the way for the reintroduction of the Australian Building and Construction Commission in the case of the second.
Apart from producing much venting over the bad behaviour in the banking industry a commission will accomplish little. It would be much better to improve competition in the wealth management industry and pursue criminal charges for fraudulent behaviour. The prospect of jail time would be more effective than a royal commission.
Harry Kinread, Brighton
Rampant immigration stalls income growth
Nick Xenophon ("New RBA governor should target growth, not inflation", 22/8), I conjecture that the crisis facing stagnation in incomes is principally due to unchecked levels of immigration soaking up any potential for wage increases, except of course for those at the very top.
Jay Bonneville, North Balwyn
Time to rethink warped priorities
We elect governments that spend billions against the "alleged" threat of illegal immigrants; billions on navy submarines and fighter planes that can't fly to protect against the "alleged" threat from the north; and multi millions on athletes to try to "punch above our weight", yet we spend little on the real threat of climate change. We need a serious re-think of our priorities.
John Kirk, Canterbury
THE FORUM
Failing to do their job
It is no surprise that yet another bribery scandal has been exposed (The Age, 25/8). It's just how things go in Asian/African countries that are run by despots. But for Australian companies, participation in the "gift game" is illegal. Unfortunately, it is also no surprise that as to knowledge of this latest bribery scandal, "federal police discovered the Sundance allegations only when told by Fairfax Media".
Organisations that are funded by taxpayers to do a job fail time and time. It is outrageous that we, the public, must rely on the meagre resources of a newspaper to do the job that should be done by such organisations.
Max Nankervis, Middle Park
Students easy targets
Last Wednesday, six myki inspectors boarded my mid-afternoon tram to inspect the tickets of 15 passengers. They alighted two stops later. The fine business must be lucrative, given the ratio of inspectors to travellers. Whenever I take a tram to Carlton in peak hour I observe ticket inspectors interrogating young people at the University of Melbourne "super" tram stop. As this destination is frequented by students on a budget, it is clearly regarded as an easy target where inspectors can chalk up their daily fine quota.
Last year, The Age published a story on how the punitive myki system exacerbates situations of extreme hardship faced by children using public transport. Transport Minister Jacinta Allan expressed concern, but what initiatives have been introduced to alleviate this? Instead of offering free travel in the CBD, which largely benefits wage-earning city workers, it's time to make public transport free for students and the homeless.
Kerrie Byrne, Port Melbourne
Myki a flawed system
There is a basic flaw in Leo Gamble's argument (Letters, 25/8). One often does not know there is a problem with one's myki until one is actually on a tram or a platform, running to catch the train, and is unable to do anything to fix the problem immediately. Recently, I touched on in a tram to be informed my card had expired. I did not know, or had forgotten, that there was a four-year expiry time. I certainly would not have remembered when I bought the card. I was terrified that an inspector would get on the tram. It was also a long walk from my destination after my appointment to a premium station (too scared to use another tram) to have it renewed and be able to return home legally.
Jenny Callaghan, Hawthorn
Gloss wears off Sydney
Ray Brown (Letters, 25/8), so pleased you are happy with Sydney's transport for seniors – I am not. As a monthly visitor to Sydney I have always shown my seniors card on the airport bus, paid the seniors rate and travelled happily. No more. Last week, I was told that to get a seniors rate I would need an Opal card. If I wished to pay cash, I had to buy a full fare. So I tried to buy an Opal for seniors at two kiosks. At both I was told I needed to buy it online. I checked and, sure enough, as an interstate visitor, two weeks before I travel I should order the card but it is only valid for two months. And I have to send in the form along with a photo of my seniors card. Turnaround time is seven days. Then I need to top it up. And every two months I need to order a new card and apply for a refund for any money still on the old one.
Margaret Lindorff, Glen Waverley
Compensation in order
Greg Winnett (Letters, 25/8), if you bought a fast-food franchise and made significant outlays to cover franchising fees and commercial rent and then someone set up a "meal-sharing" operation in a residential property down the road offering ostensibly the same product and the franchisor didn't take legal action to restrain them, you would probably feel entitled to compensation from the franchisor.
Tony Ralston, Balwyn North
We pay the bills
Given that taxpayers foot half the bill for afterschool care (via childcare rebates), it is disappointing if the Education Department sees such care as only an issue for schools and hapless parents (The Age, 21/8). With more than 1500 primary schools in Victoria, and where each school's contract with care providers can easily run into the many hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, this leads to substantial financial commitments for parents and taxpayers. We should expect strong guidance/controls for schools on how to approach such contracts.
Michael Uren, Kensington
More financial abuse
John Berrill is correct ("We need a new life plan for super", BusinessDay, 24/8). However, I was startled by the sentence: "There was also an increase in the number of claims by members through an increased awareness of their right to claim." It appears that potential claimants have paid their premiums but did not claim their proper entitlement suffering an insured event. Should those who arranged the insurance and took commissions not have advised the potential claimants of their rights? It is just another example of where commissions and bonuses appear to be more important than the welfare of the client.
John McNally, Kew
Get out of Middle East
The ongoing death and destruction in the Middle East cries out for an urgent humanitarian response. The increasing intervention of outside powers in essentially internal conflicts is unhelpful. Going by history, such interventions will lead sooner or later to a wider war.
The greatest evil is the aerial bombing of towns by outside powers, including Australia, with minimum concern for civilians and children. What business do we have in bombing Syria? This has not been explained, other than in cliches about crushing Islamic State. The bombing – by the US, Russia, the Saudis or ourselves (or on our behalf) – will be seen in time as a war crime.
We believe the US has honourable intent, but after five decades and at least five fruitless and highly damaging wars, for others and ourselves, we should be waking up to the fact that we have been grievously misled.
Now, even the Americans don't know what they are doing there except that it is connected with whatever the Russians and the Iranians are doing, along with the Turks and the Saudis. How is that in Australia's interests? We must get out.
Andrew Farran, Edenhope
Deaf to the message
The lyrics of "We like short shorts" from The Four Seasons started to run through my mind when I read the article "Girls told not to wear short skirts to school" (The Age, 20/8).
Now an ancient old crow (60 years young), I can remember my mother pleading with me to not to go to school wearing a short skirt. Did I listen? Absolutely not. Her words just made me more determined to hitch my skirt up another notch.
I can't believe that society is still sending these "thou shalt cover up" messages to our female population. A more enlightened approach is needed. All students, male and female, need information on how to protect themselves from the dark side of the internet. Teenage girls should not have to take responsibility for what adult porn sites publish.
Jen Trewin, Lucas
Couch potatoes reign
I intentionally did not watch any Olympic coverage. Instead, I continued with my regular walking and exercise programs, avoiding the well-known dangers of extended sitting. My analysis of the Games is that they are no longer worth the money. Supporters should stop claiming that they inspire greater numbers to participate in healthy activities. The 2016 Australia's Health Tracker report indicates that the number of overweight/obese children has increased to 25per cent, with more than 70per cent not meeting physical activity recommendations. In these times of "fiscal responsibility", taxpayers' money would be better directed to appropriate health-promotion campaigns and supporting a wider range of healthy activities, in and out of schools, to encourage a much greater number of children and adults to get off their bums and improve their lives.
Reinhard Beissbarth, Beechworth
Bunch of footy clowns
As an Essendon supporter I have been looking for a distraction from the idiocy that has tarnished our club. Thank you, Kangas, for providing it. It appears you, too, have a management structure that's hamstrung by dumb decisions. Brent Harvey is an icon of our game and you are a bunch of clowns for not handing him a pen and asking him to write his own contract for next year. Who will we now turn to for our weekly masterclass on "running around the man on the mark"?
Clinton Murray, Kew
Animals exploited
A racing greyhound is bred to win races. If it's too slow and has no hope of success, it is sent to the knackers and turned into dog meat. A dairy cow is bred to produce milk. When it gets old and fails to produce enough milk, it, too, is sent to the knackers. What's the difference? Both industries exist to profit from the specialist breeding and exploitation of animals.
David Cunningham, Castlemaine
AND ANOTHER THING...
Football
I'm thinking of taking out a North Melbourne football club membership just so I can cancel it.
John Bye, Elwood
North has taken a leaf out of Geelong's book with its nonsensical and ruthless treatment of top players. Is it a Scott thing?
Peter Knight, St Arnaud
The Roos sack four legends, the Hawks re-sign three. Whose system is working better?
Ian Hudson, Yarrambat
Politics
"The hand-out generation." Was Scott Morrison referring to his fellow and retired politicians? Joe Hockey comes to mind.
Les Anderson, Woodend
Hockey's "lifters and leaners" have become Morrison's "taxed and taxed-nots". Is this what the PM calls innovation?
Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick
Give Morrison a cigar. He is clearly channelling Joe Hockey.
Jane Kenway, Elwood
"Wibble-wobble jelly on a plate." Here we go again: a continuum of Coalition argumentum ad hominem; "Ditch the Witch", "Rudd the Wrecker" and so on.
Jon Tomor, Warrnambool
The jailing rate of our Indigenous population has increased by 52 per cent. At least we're world leaders at something.
Brian Sanaghan, Preston
Bodgie solar panels, asbestos-contaminated building products and now faulty trains. Roll on free trade agreement with China. Not.
Craig Calvert, Montmorency
Elsewhere
I can't help noticing that Murray Goulburn's logo reads MUG.
Dawn Evans, Highton
Paul Edwards is correct (Letters, 25/8) regarding our "our convict heritage". Australia's collective thinking is stuck in a colonial "time-warp". It hamstrings us on all levels.
Rob Walter, Horsham
Dane Swan: an ornament to the game.
Greg Curtin, Blackburn South