Thursday, 15 February 2024

The government is going to tell us

what we already know...and they are going to spend $40m doing it. They are going to "spruik" the "tax cuts"!

It would have been far cheaper to ensure that all politicians had been required to mention them in the "newsletters" they send out from time to time. It can be done.

Our last federal politician used to do quite a good job of informing us - in "dot point" form - of what was going on. Yes, of course she used the newsletter as a "vote for us" as well but the information was there. It was there in a quick to read format that could, if people wanted, be kept for reference. 

Our present federal politician is not doing that. Her missives have been full of glossy photographs telling us what a wonderful job she is doing - and telling us very little about what is going on. Okay, maybe I am a little biased. I didn't vote for her. I don't like her. That said, there are a good many other people who complain about the same thing. They make the same complaint about the state member as well.

One of the advantages of being in government is that you can use money to advertise what you are doing...and tell the people how good you are. I wonder though about the waste of money. We had half a billion dollars wasted on the Voice referendum last year. The government took that to the people against advice. It was, they said, what they had "promised" to do. That was a promise that might well have been broken, especially as they are still contemplating on spending money on parts of the entire process which were firmly rejected at the time of the referendum. 

Now they want to spend our money telling us why they have broken their promise with respect to the tax cuts. They are still trying to tell us that "everyone is getting a tax cut". Perhaps it depends on how you look at it but it is really playing with words because not everyone is getting a tax cut by any means. Governments do not give tax cuts like that. Other measures have to come in to cover the revenue lost.  I know one retired accountant and one present accountant and they have both told me that people will be no better off.

I think I could put that $40m to better use. It's a pity they won't let me try.  

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