This is a big admission from Rudd:
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will not back away from his admission that he has done all he can to ease pressure on family budgets.
As petrol prices reached record highs yesterday, Kevin Rudd said his Government had done all it could to ease cost of living pressures.
Well if he can’t do anymore maybe he should stand aside and let someone else have a go. It is rather amazing, Rudd was elected on this very issue, he has been in power over 6 months and has already given up! If Rudd is out of ideas to reduce the cost of living, I have a few from the top of my head:
- Reform the four tax system on fuel prices, including gradually abolishing the Federal fuel excise over three years. This is growth accounting 101 and would impact inflation across a range of goods and services in the right way,
- Get rid of stamp duty – it is an anarchic tax and services no specific purpose other than to increase the cost of transactions,
- Get rid of any idea of carbon cap and trade – even the Government’s Productivity Commission says the idea is a dud, and
- Instead of paying a baby bonus, offer more favourable tax thresholds for the larger the family you have – up to say three children.
Yes it will cost $$$. But last time I checked Government revenue wasn’t really the Government’s. I’ll be applying for PM today…