In the following article ALP Socialist Left Activist Tristan Ewins argues in favour of reform in the interests of vulnerable and Aged Australians - including tax breaks and national aged care insurance. We need ALP activists to take up these causes and make them a reality before the September election! Mark Butler seems to be interested - But are others in the Cabinet and Caucus listening?
Firstly: Tax Breaks for Vulnerable Australians wanting to ‘shift down’ to a cheaper home
In the Herald-Sun today (June 2nd 2013) Federal Minister for Ageing Mark Butler was
on record coming out in support of removing Stamp Duty tax from the sale of the
estates of pensioners. The tax is seen
as a disincentive to ‘shift down’ to smaller and more manageable properties –
and the suggestion of an initiative in this direction is similar to what we
have argued for at ‘Left Focus’ and ‘ALP Socialist Left Forum’. This makes good sense for pensioners who can
no longer manage a (relatively) large property, including properties with large
gardens.
In response the Victorian Conservative government is
claiming that this kind of program already exists in the form of a Stamp Duty waiver
when shifting to properties up to $330,000 value, and with concessions for properties up to
$750,000 value. This may be true, but the Federal Labor
government would be right to see these measures as insufficient for pensioners:
with Stamp Duty still comprising a major disincentive to “shift down” to a more
manageable property. Quite simply
there are few decent properties – even small properties – under $330,000 market
value these days. And pensioners may
not want to move out to the outer urban fringe in order to benefit from such
programs.
Also importantly: such schemes could be of interest
to low income families as well, and
also low income divorced singles who
would benefit from ‘shifting downwards’.
For those and others of limited wealth and on low incomes for whom a
property may be all they have, the option to ‘shift downwards’ to a smaller
property could make a great difference in accessing funds from the sale of
their residences. It could also potentially
make a great difference to disabled Australians for whom the only source of
income is the disability pension. Though to avoid the dual outcome of
gentrification of some suburbs, and infrastructure and service poverty in ‘low
income ghettos’ - such a policy needs to be combined with active intervention
to overcome infrastructure and service deficits in affected suburbs.
So at ‘Left Focus’ and ‘ALP Socialist Left Forum’ we
are saying ‘Yes’ to the removal of Stamp Duty Tax for aged and disability
pensioners, as well as low income Australians and lower income divorcees for
whom relocation could make a great deal of difference for their quality of
life. Though so the policy cannot be
abused we are suggesting it can only apply to specific individuals once in
every ten years – with the exception of house sales upon entering care. We are saying ‘Yes’ to Federal compensation
of State governments so such a policy can be implemented nation-wide – and for
Labor to adopt this as an innovative and equitable policy with the election
drawing nearer. Further, we are arguing
that this be paid for by restructuring the tax mix rather than through austerity. And we are hoping some people in the Federal
and State governments are listening!
Again: Aged Care Insurance
A brief postscript, though!
We are also saying ‘Yes’ to National Aged Care Insurance as a priority comparable to the
National Disability Insurance Scheme.
But we are opposing regressive user pays charges for aged care services
and accommodation.
We are saying ‘Yes’ to further improvements for the
pay, conditions and career paths of Aged Care workers – As well as improvements
to the quality of service enjoyed by all aged residents in care – whether high
or low intensity care. This means good
quality food; privacy with personal rooms if so desired; better carer and nurse
to patient ratios; facilitated social interaction and intellectual stimulation;
and access to IT for those so
interested; as well as access to change of scenery including gardens. It means gentle exercise for those capable; and
prompt access to dental care if necessary. It also means compassionate care for dementia
sufferers, and a big public investment for dementia and Alzheimers’ research. Finally it means support for Carers’ whose
intervention could make the difference in preventing premature resort to high
intensity care.
Not that long ago Labor figures were speaking of approaching
the coming election on the theme of ‘Social Insurance’. This still makes sense! But since Abbott has attempted to neutralise
the issue with bipartisan support for disability insurance, Aged Care Insurance
as outlined here could reignite that debate. And if Abbott attempts to neutralise
this issue by adopting a similar policy – then that is a progressive victory as
well!
At ‘Left Focus’ and “ALP Socialist Left Forum’ we
have argued that Tony Abbott is betraying his Democratic Labor Party heritage
by taking a hard line against social welfare, and policies which punish the
poor and vulnerable. ‘Compassionate conservatism’ which has a heart for social
welfare may not be our ideal – but it is better than contemporary neo-liberal Neo-Conservatism – which ‘has no heart’. If by some quirk of fate there are
Conservatives reading this post, we urge them to consider the positions of the
post-war German Christian Democrats and their support for social welfare and a ‘social
market’. We are saying this well aware
that the other aspect of the DLP was its regrettable role in a split which kept
the ALP out of power for decades; and which took an anti-liberal authoritarian
line in favour of literally banning the Communist Party of Australia; and
opposing militant unionism. But perhaps were Labor to adopt Aged Care Insurance
– Abbott might also rediscover his conscience and assert himself publicly and in
the Liberal Party Room ahead of the election – in favour of the policy.
And again: win or lose the election – by initiating
the policy and potentially securing bipartisan support Labor would have achieved a vital progressive victory.
The American Christopher Boyce described CIA covert operations in Australia aimed
ReplyDeleteat bringing down the Labor Government of Gough Whitlam. Boyce was sentenced
to 40 years solitary confinement for his refusal to stay silent on the matter.
Five years after the overthrow of Whitlam, in April 1981, senior executives of nineteen Australian corporations met at Melbourne's Noah's Hotel for a "forecasting round table" organised by Business International. Business International is a worldwide American organisation of "consultants" which represents the top multi-national companies in Australia. In December 1977, the New York Times exposed Business International's clandestine links with the CIA.
The nineteen had come to hear Business International's Alan Carroll express his concern about the resurgence of the Labor Party under Bill Hayden, who had held senior posts in the Whitlam Government and described himself as a republican and a democratic socialist. At that time, Bob Hawke had completed his term as ACTU President and was a newly elected Labor Party Member of Parliament. Carroll told the meeting that he knew Hawke "pretty well" and "basically, Hawke will be Labor Party leader by the middle of next year; and that's my business, and we won't go into that in any great depth. But he will be there. It's all under way. The game plan is totally under way and I forecast 3 to 5 on a Hawke Government in '83! We had a meeting with him about one month ago and we're meeting with him every six months from now. It's terribly important." A top-secret CIA briefing document for the U.S. President described Hawke as "the best qualified" to succeed Whitlam as Labor leader.
The forecasts of the Agency and Alan Carroll came true in almost every detail. In February 1983, three weeks before an election was due, Hawke and others on the party's right wing mounted a successful putsch against Bill Hayden. With the slogan, "Bob Hawke, Bringing Australia Together", the CIA's chosen candidate became Australian Prime Minister. Hawke went on to cultivate many ties with anti-Communist groups and developed what U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz described as "a fine relationship" with Presidents Nixon and Reagan.
Hawke's Government repeatedly refused to release some 1,200 documents on the Nugan Hand Bank, the front for international crime and illegal CIA operations in Australia. Hawke also refused to find out why the CIA barred the release, under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, of fourteen intelligence reports on Commerce International, the CIA-front company that played a central role in the destruction of the Whitlam Government. In 1989 a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of the High Court recommended rigorous Government secrecy in order to prevent disclosures about the activities of the CIA, MI5 and MI6 in the internal affairs of Australia.
The CIA's illicit actions against the Australian Labor Party clearly indicate that the Agency will not hesitate to move against even supposed allies if it considers that they threaten U.S. interests; the full range of CIA dirty tricks can be expected to be applied against any Western nation with the same lack of impunity and regard for the law that the Agency has shown in its wars with its enemies in the East.