Albanese is the highest-taxing Prime Minister of all time

Since taking office in May 2022, the average amount of tax raised in Australia is equivalent to 26.52 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is the highest average level of any government since 1959, albeit not by much. In political speak, Albanese is the highest-taxing Prime Minister of all time.

Of course, Albanese has governed for just 18 months compared to some governments that ruled for more than a decade. However, on average, so far, he’s recorded the highest tax take as a percentage of GDP. That may change in the future, but he holds the trophy right now.

Given the gravity of my claim, it is important to explain the data.

Firstly, the statistic is a ratio of two numbers: tax revenue is the numerator, and GDP is the denominator. This allows comparison and enables comparison overtime.

Both of these data series are what’s called ‘seasonally adjusted’ and ‘original’, and are published every three months (quarterly) since 1959.

The ABS tax revenue data is close to but not the same as that published by the Federal government as part of its annual and mid-year budget processes.

The chief benefit of using the ABS national accounts data is that it is published on a quarterly basis. This helps is deciding where to allocate data points when government changes in the middle of a data period.

The GDP figure used in the denominator is a national figure, covering production in the whole of Australia. In contrast, the tax revenue figure excludes revenue from the main local and state-based taxes: land taxes, payroll tax, gambling taxes, and local government municipal rates.

Note however, even if these taxes are included in the total revenue figure, the conclusion is the same: Albanese still leads the highest taxing government on record.

Another important note relates to government debt. Government spending is financed from both taxation and debt. Debt is really just deferred tax, so some argue that total government spending is a better proxy for total tax. That’s a debate for another time.

What’s clear is that the current government is getting pretty nervous about the amount of tax being collected. Treasurer Jim Chalmers was quick to point out recently that it was important to give back ‘bracket creep’ – this is a term describing the higher take of tax as inflation pushes wages into higher brackets.

The record tax take also explains why Albanese and Chalmers have been steadfast in keeping the Stage 3 tax cuts, despite a big push back from special interest groups that are reliant on taxpayer funding.

My guess is that, for the current government, Stage 3 can’t come quick enough.

https://www.spectator.com.au/2023/12/albanese-government-highest-taxing-since-1959/

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The incompatibility of farming and renewables projects

Perhaps the biggest mistruth about renewable energy infrastructure is that it can coexist with productive farming practices, such as grazing and cropping.

With recent research by the Institute of Public Affairs estimating that up to one-third of Australia’s prime agricultural farmland could be destroyed by the industrial-scale solar panels and wind turbines needed to meet irresponsible Net Zero mandates, establishing the facts around the ability to farm on land carpeted with renewables projects has never been more important.

It has been recently argued that ‘the practice of “solar grazing” is well established’. Based on two solar factories where an elevated layout has allowed for (some) grazing by sheep, it was asserted that ‘solar grazing’ meant agriculture and solar farms could coexist because sheep can graze around and under the solar panels.

This practice has also been discussed as a method of weed control, whereby livestock is used to weed out undesirable undergrowth beneath solar panels. The impact of weeds and vermin associated with solar factories on neighbouring farms has been a frequent complaint, and renewable industry proponents appear to be responding with an aggressive public relations campaign.

However, just as wind turbines damage native wildlife and the landscape, industrial-scale solar projects pose a real threat to animal welfare.

The BRE (European) National Solar Centre’s Agricultural Good Practice Guidance for Solar Farms states:

Larger farm animals such as horses and cattle are considered unsuitable [for solar grazing] since they have the weight and strength to dislodge standard mounting systems, while pigs or goats may cause damage to cabling.

Aside from the harm caused by their contact with exposed electrical wires, animals that graze on solar farms also risk exposure to transformer leakages, which can lead to electrical and fire hazards. There are also the dangers associated with toxic chemicals leaching out from solar panels.

Moreover, in severe weather conditions, any grazing livestock will be vulnerable to shards of broken glass and sharp flying debris. As the UK office of the insurance giant Allianz noted:

In 2021, Storm Arwen wreaked havoc at a solar farm near Wolviston [in the UK], smashing hundreds of glass solar panels and damaging rows and rows of photovoltaics. In extreme weather, solar panels can operate as lifting surfaces making the panels vulnerable to being blown away … Panels are in danger of being smashed by falling debris that’s carried by the wind. If solar farms are struck by lightning it can result in damage to modules, cables and electrical equipment.

This is not a scenario in which you would want sheep grazing under solar panels. Besides, there is the issue of sheep being able to chew through the cables that go from the solar panels to batteries, creating a serious hazard to animal welfare.

Even in ideal conditions, solar farms are harmful to animal welfare. Every year hundreds of thousands of birds are killed by solar farms across the globe. Many are water birds that fly into solar panels, deceived by the panels’ resemblance to the surface of water. This phenomenon is called the ‘Lake Effect’.

The brightness and intensity of the light coming from solar fields, both during the day and at night (because of night-time security lighting), interferes with the natural habitat of local wildlife.

The mitigation strategies needed to address the harmful effects of solar panels on wildlife and livestock only add to the already mounting cost of renewable energy and – in this case – have introduced additional risks to animal welfare.

Photovoltaic cells contain toxic materials like lead, cadmium, selenium and tellurium which can leach into the natural environment, particularly if damaged in such a way as occurs in a hailstorm or fire. They also need to be properly disposed of at the end of their lifecycles, yet up to 90 per cent of photovoltaic solar panels go straight into landfill at the end of their lives.

Unlike the disposal of nuclear waste, there is no well-established, time-tested, and scientifically informed method of disposing of solar waste in a safe and responsible manner.

Across Australia, local communities and fire brigades are deeply concerned about the limited ability to manage the fire risks associated with solar farms, citing international experience of co-located lithium-ion batteries catching fire and producing large amounts of toxic smoke.

Many of Australia’s largest solar projects are located on viable agricultural land. Shamefully, the value of pre-existing agricultural production of the land on which they sit is condescendingly brushed aside in their environmental impact statements. The list of solar farms and projects taking up agricultural land goes on and is set to grow further.

Across Australia, regional and rural communities are being forced to shoulder the burden of renewables projects demanded by the political class and the inner-city elites.

At a time when the federal government is seeking to ban live animal exports on the spurious grounds of animal welfare, there has been no discussion from policymakers how animals forced to coexist with renewable infrastructure will fare. Put simply this is yet another case of ideology trumping commonsense in the futile race to Net Zero.

https://www.spectator.com.au/2023/12/shards-of-truth-the-compatibility-of-farming-and-renewables-projects/

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Victoria Has 'Huge Spending Problem': Libertarian MP Calls for Cuts to Bureaucracy

Libertarian Party Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) David Limbrick believes Victoria has a "huge spending problem" saying current debt levels are unsustainable.

The libertarian suggested cutting back the size of government, pausing or cancelling major projects, and slashing expenditure should be the solution, rather than raising more revenue.

On Friday, a budget update released by Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas revealed net debt is projected to hit $135.5 billion (US$91 billion) by June 2024.

Further, by the year 2027, debt is set to reach $177.8 billion (US$119.5 billion), which is $6.4 billion (US$4.3 billion) higher than the estimate in the May state budget.

Outlining his vision to reduce the debt, Mr. Limbrick suggested the government should be cutting back spending, instead of increasing revenue through introducing a string of new taxes.

"It's not sustainable. We're running up debt higher and higher. And rather than figuring out how to raise more revenue, I think they should be figuring out how they can cut the expenditure because we're clearly spending unsustainable amounts of money at the moment," Mr. Limbrick told The Epoch Times.

"I mean, Victoria, it's got a huge spending problem. There are limits to what they can do with taxation. And I think that they're reaching those limits, and we've got a huge spending problem and we have to cut back the size of the government."

Mr. Pallas attributed part of the higher debt to interest rate rises, claiming 13 rate rises in the the past 18 months has "presented problems for everybody."

"The point I'm making is that there is a very substantial amount of debt the state is carrying that is also directly attributable to the movements in the cash rate," he said.

The multi-billion dollar Suburban Rail Loop project was not listed in the budget but is provisioned for in contingency funds, Mr. Pallas highlighted. The treasurer would not speculate on whether he expected the suburban rail loop costs to blow out too.

On Dec. 12, the government revealed it had awarded a $3.6 billion contract on tunnelling for Suburban Rail Loop East.

Meanwhile, the budget for Victoria's North East Link has risen by $10 billion and is now expected to to cost $26.1 billion.
Look for Savings

Mr. Limbrick said the Victorian government has a number of sources of revenue, including stamp duty, payroll tax, GST, and Commonwealth grants.

The politician suggested the government could pause or cancel some projects to find some savings.

"I'm not convinced of the cost benefit analysis of many of these projects that they are talking about, for example, the suburban rail loop," Mr. Limbrick said.

He also recommended asking all Victorian state government departments to find cost savings.

"I think that the government does a lot of things that it doesn't need to do ... really wasteful things. And I think that you could order all departments to come up with cost savings. And I think our policy that we went to the last election with was a 10 percent cut in non-frontline workforce expenditure."

Leader of the Opposition John Pesutto said the "dire state" of Victoria's finance is worsening under Premier Jacinta Allan.

“Labor’s nine-year trend of cost blowouts, greater debt, and higher taxes is going from bad to worse under Premier Jacinta Allan," he said.

Shadow Treasurer Brad Rowswell added that the budget update shows Labor's record debt is still growing, in spite of new taxes on schools, rents, holidays, and visits to the GP.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/victoria-has-a-huge-spending-problem-libertarian-politician-says-cut-big-government-5548809?ea_src=au-frontpage&ea_med=top-news-australia-top-news-0-large-4

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Special Forces’ face more danger, harm at home than Afghanistan battlefield, ‘secret inquiry’ hears

The nation’s Special Forces faced more harm and danger at home than the battlefields of Afghanistan with failures of the military’s office of Inspector General contributing to mental trauma and an army of timid and woke self doubters.

That’s according to evidence before a “secret inquiry” into the Inspector General of the ADF (IGADF) that for the first time in its 20-year history is having its operations, functions and leadership put under the spotlight.

Australian Special Forces soldiers in Southern Afghanistan. Picture: Australian Department of Defence
Australian Special Forces soldiers in Southern Afghanistan. Picture: Australian Department of Defence
The IGADF, appointed by the federal government to oversee the quality and fairness of the military justice system, was behind the 2020 Brereton Report inquiry into allegations of war crimes by Special Forces.

In its submission to the IGADF inquiry, to report by March next year, the Australian Special Air Service Association (ASASA) national chairman and former SAS officer Martin Hamilton-Smith has blasted the IGADF for the way it handled the Brereton report and created public hysteria of untested evidence.

SOLDIER 1 TESTIMONY
Edited testimony by Special Forces soldiers to the 2023 inquiry into the Office of the Inspector General ADF (20-year review).

I was subject to three interviews. The first interview was, I think, a general probe on a range of things. I think they were trying to get a feel for how operations were being conducted.

Whilst I was never directly accused of anything, I was made to feel like I was on trial. Intimating I had an awareness of alleged criminality or activity related to their investigations. I left the interview feeling more than a little confused.

The last (interview), I was made to feel like a criminal; again not accused of anything, but rather that I was somehow complicit in reported war crimes.

Then when the interview commenced and a continual stream of dead Afghans was displayed to me, I understood. I knew nothing of these men, I had not seen them, nor was I present when they were killed. All had suffered combat related wounds, often to the head.

Whilst I had seen enemy dead on the battlefield all the time, they were visions I work hard to suppress. To have them continually displayed, whilst being hounded for answers to circumstances I knew absolutely nothing of, left me emotionally drained. It took me days to get over that interview, and at times I am transported to that office and that place to see those men again.

“The office of the IGADF’s inability or failure to act on this point has crushed the lives of many innocent men and their families, it contributed to suicide ideation, it has broken up marriages and families leaving children hurt and confused and it has left hundreds of brave veterans and their loved ones feeling they should be ashamed of their service and their regiments or of their husbands, sons, brothers and fathers,” he blasted in a statement which included direct testimony from Special Forces troops.

“This outcome is inconsistent with the IGADF’s stated values and vision.”

Failure of justice due process should not be repeated, he said.

Former SAS officer and Australian SAS Association chief Martin Hamilton-Smith at his home in South Australia in March 2023. Picture Dean Martin
Former SAS officer and Australian SAS Association chief Martin Hamilton-Smith at his home in South Australia in March 2023. Picture Dean Martin
Hamilton-Smith said while war crimes allegations around 23 incidents needed to be investigated, the findings should have been passed to the police or special investigators rather than through the public.

He said 30,000 Australian soldiers served in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2014, conducting multiple operations against a ruthless irregular guerrilla enemy of an undeclared war and Special Forces alone were tasked by the government to kill 3000 enemy combatants.

SOLDIER 2 TESTIMONY
Edited testimony by Special Forces soldiers to the 2023 inquiry into the Office of the Inspector General ADF (20-year review).

From the outset, I would like to say that I don’t think I am or have ever been under investigation myself, but honestly, I don’t know. I was the (redacted) on one of the jobs being investigated. I believe I was ordered to appear and give evidence regarding a specific incident because Justice Brereton and his team thought I would agree with their opinions and act in favour of the prosecution.

Once I arrived at my interview, I was introduced to the inquiry team. I was then immediately shown photos of an incident. Instead of asking me what I thought about the incident, I was told what had happened and felt I was expected to agree. It didn’t appear they were wanting to understand the circumstances of the events but for me to agree with their opinion and support their already developed finding. When I indicated that I wasn’t present for the incident and couldn’t comment on what had happened in that location, I immediately felt hostility from the inquiry team.

Disappointingly, it was clear to me that there was no operational Afghanistan experience in the room. None of the panel understood the complexities of fighting a war there or the grey space in which war exists. After I didn’t agree with their theory immediately at my interview, the whole thing was wrapped up and I was asked to leave.

I am proud of my service and every one of my many deployments to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013 in the service of my country. I took my duty so seriously that I was willing to sacrifice my marriage, relationships with my children, and my life should it come to that.

Now post my service, my experience at the Brereton Inquiry and the random calls from the Office of the Special Investigator, while trying to deal with physical ongoing injuries from my time fighting in Afghanistan, have left the most bitter taste in me. This wasn’t an investigation into how the war was fought and what may have been done better, this was a witch hunt to prove soldiers were guilty murder.

“Though these (23) incidents represent a fraction of the ADF’s operations in that country during this difficult war, the content of the Report and more importantly the way in which it has been received and dealt with by government and the current Chief of the Defence Force (General Angus Campbell) has damaged the spirits of the 30,000 veterans who served there, crushed the physical and mental health of hundreds of Veterans and their families and delivered enormous harm,” his ASASA statement, which included testimony from current and serving soldiers’ experience with the IGADF.

Australian Special Forces Task Group (SFTG) members firing their vehicle mounted heavy weapons at night in Afghanistan.
Australian Special Forces Task Group (SFTG) members firing their vehicle mounted heavy weapons at night in Afghanistan.
It said many Special Forces felt they were tricked into giving evidence for the Brereton inquiry which in effect and with no legal standing contributed to a “show trial” of untested evidence and public hysteria. To date only one person has been actually charged.

The IGADF and CDF Gen. Campbell’s attempt to strip medals and pay compensation to some Afghan families, likely to have been former enemies, Mr Hamilton-Smith said compounded perceptions of guilt without proper police or Office of Special Investigator probing.

SOLDIER 3 TESTIMONY
Edited testimony by Special Forces soldiers to the 2023 inquiry into the Office of the Inspector General ADF (20-year review).

One afternoon, I was informed by the then Regimental Executive officer via phone call that I needed to watch the ABC program Four Corners (The Killing Field) that night because there were allegations in the program directed at me personally.

Based on these allegations, I was called before the IGADF to give evidence. I did find it difficult to recall some events that were put to me based on incidents that occurred 10 years prior, and at times it was amusing to me when they showed me imagery that I’d never seen before and they were perplexed why I didn’t have a recollection of the events.

I will not go into the content of the five-hour interview that followed nor try to defend myself against any of the allegations that fell out of it, which I might add were nothing less than ludicrous, but I found the conduct of the interview quite farcical, and the way (redacted) handled the questioning quite rude and at times aggressive. For example, if I could not recall a certain event, they became aggressive in their approach to the and, I believe, used a bullying tactic almost insinuating that I was lying, although I was brutally honest throughout the whole ordeal.

I was prominent in several allegations against other members of the unit, but I never witnessed any of the said allegations, but I felt at times they were looking to put words in my mouth to satisfy their line of questioning.

It added many veterans felt the Brereton inquiry was an abuse of power, subjecting them to a “medieval Star Chamber”.

More Coverage

New warning for Australian military

Special Forces under siege as covert police operation fails
Brereton’s findings that some patrol commanders and other soldiers became hardened, overbearing and ruthless could be made for any war.

“That the Office of the IGADF would make this point left many veterans bewildered and diminished the IGADF. That government and the CDF agreed with and accepted this recommendation is noteworthy even though many of these commanding officers were not interviewed.”

The ASASA said wars were not won with timidity or soldiers infused with self-doubt or woke self-righteousness but this was what had been accepted now.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/special-forces-face-more-danger-harm-at-home-than-afghanistan-battlefield-secret-inquiry-hears/news-story/563606eee433eb0b8771405056feef6a

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Also see my other blogs. Main ones below:

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM -- daily)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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