This is a mobile optimized page that loads fast, if you want to load the real page, click this text.

The state of the economy at the street level

It was one of the taxes the States said the would remove, when they voted for GST, then reneged, so they get the GST and kept the payroll tax.
From memory stamp duty was another tax they were meant to remove.
 
It was one of the taxes the States said the would remove, when they voted for GST, then reneged, so they get the GST and kept the payroll tax.
From memory stamp duty was another tax they were meant to remove.
How about the Recording Tax we have here in WA on Vehicle Licence Renewals.
Was supposed to be only for a couple of years to pay for the Commonwealth and Empire Games back in 1962.
 
It's really weird out there. I'm seeing turnover. But I don't think anyone is making good.
margins are getting squeezed ( in most cases ), so less profits to be spent or re-invested , therefore reducing liquidity ( velocity of money )

now many will reduce costs ( outgoings ) as they see best ( further reducing the velocity of money )

not so weird if you have lived through the '70s and '80s but of course the 'recession ' hasn't been declared yet ( in Australia )
 
It's really weird out there. I'm seeing turnover. But I don't think anyone is making good.
I'm seeing it on this cruise, there isn't the same amount of drinking going on, the prices have been cranked up and people just aren't buying.

Can of VB stubbie of Corona etc $8US, not many were buying, so now it is $9US, I really don't know why they thought that would help.
 
The CBA put out a report recently where they said most of the money that came from tax custs for the middle class and up were being deposited into offset accounts for mortgages,
Its something else that is reducing the velocity of money.
Money supply in OZ has increased since July.
If the CBA is correct, and the house owners feel more confident that rates are coming down, some of that money may be returned into spending, which will add to any existing inflationary pressures.
Mick
 
Who the hell would buy a beer at $9us or nearly 14aud?
Unless water is more expensive....
 
I'm seeing bootleg stuff getting around. $20 for spirits in large bottles. Kids are using drugs rather than drinking as its cheaper. Government is bloody pricing people out of the market.
We need to see massive cuts among government departments.
 
I wonder how much temu is disrupting physical business. I know a lot of the youth spend directly on temu. It's pretty cheap. It will change the landscape.

I bought some stuff off of there and it's generally the same cheap sht you get out of our shops.
 
I'm seeing bootleg stuff getting around. $20 for spirits in large bottles. Kids are using drugs rather than drinking as its cheaper. Government is bloody pricing people out of the market.
We need to see massive cuts among government departments.
They are taxing their way out of trouble, the problem with that is, eventually working becomes an expensive way to live.

It isn't only Australia that has the problems, I think most Western countries are in the same boat.

I took these photo's a couple of days ago, while on holidays, it is obviously becoming touch and go whether it's worth going to work.

The photo's are of a Maccas and a 7/11 store, but most of the shops were screaming for workers.




 
A lot of it is permanent part time. No one can live on those wages right now. I'm not sure if the current employment laws around firing people is the issue or not around giving people more hours?
But there's a lot of working poor that have 3 jobs and are just scraping by.
 
That's exactly what I was meaning, are you better off on social housing and welfare, than working and paying full whack for most things, plus probably running a car? When rent and overheads are factored in it must be touch and go in a lot of situations.

By the way those rates are in U.S dollars.
 

Our governments answer is to force wage increases. But all that does is push people into the next tax bracket, increase inflation, force business and government services to increase prices of goods and service.

It's a vicious circle that only government can fix by reducing taxes by a significant amount.

Some of the many taxes -


What is the current tax rate on alcohol and tobacco?
 
Taxes have to go up to pay for our living standard, most people are employed in the service industries, so the money to support our services has to either be printed (which is inflationary) or earned from selling product to other countries and taxing that extra money coming in.
The money coming in from overseas is mainly materials based and the price is fickle, so we print it, then tax it.

The whole system is getting more and more shaky, I'm surprised our dollar has held up so well, that is mainly because the U.S is in the same problem as we are.
It will be interesting to see how the Aust dollar goes, if the U.S does turn its manufacturing around.
 

And like MoXJO said "No one can live on those wages right now....there's a lot of working poor that have 3 jobs and are just scraping by."

Australian wages are quite good by world standards, but the problem is excessively numerous and high taxes. Not all of it is for our standard of living, much of our taxes is wasted on social agendas.
 
much of our taxes is wasted on social agendas.
Which is our standard of living, the well off live the same the world over, the poor are the ones where the difference lie between a first world and a third world country.

The problem arises for us, when we can't afford to fund our social agendas, that will happen when the Government can't raise the taxes to meet the obligation and the workers can't live on their wages so they can't pay more tax.
Then the currency starts falling in value, as trading partners want more of it, for what they are selling us.

It has already happened with Thailand, a few years ago when I first went to Thailand, our dollar was worth 30 Baht now it's 21 Baht and we buy gear off Thailand.
So in real terms our currency has fallen against theirs, as they industrialise.
 

A poorly conceived and implemented referendum does not add improvement to our standard of living.

Nor does a Victorian government reneging on contracts for a highways and commonwealth games, which cost taxpayers in contract fines.

And what about the submarine fiasco, the SA RAH hospital, the Melbourne Covid quarantine infrastructure build, and on it goes.

Those rose coloured glasses may look good, but they tinge the view.

** EDIT: my above retort was for your original statement, not the one that you changed while I was typing.
 
Appolgies I'm on a really dodgy wifi.
I agree with your sentiments, we are living beyonnd our means and I thought Albo may change the way we were heading, it isn't appearing so but time will tell.
As you pointed out, at the moment the workers are becoming the poor, which is what I was meaning.
The rich don't get affected much, when the worker becomes the poor, then you are third world or at least not first world.
 
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more...