|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HERO HARRADINE
Last week Senator Harradine, despite enormous pressure from the Howard Coalition, stood by his ground and refused the GST. His stand? He asked John Howard to give details of how John intended to keep the promise "that no person would be disadvantaged by the new GST."
It is examples like Senator Harradine that lead Australians to believe that representative democracy might work. It is complementary examples like Senator Colston and the coalition who cynically exploit him (the end justifies the means) that remind us that no, representative democracy in Australia is fatally flawed.
Now it is up to the Democrats. Let us hope that they ask the same question. Let us hope that they will not be bought off with the promise of $billions in tax cuts for one of their imagined constituencies.
The GST is a regressive tax. It cannot be repaired.
Mr. Howards's assessment is wrong. The
existing
tax system is not broken. It is government expenditure that is
broken.
Government expenditure is out of control.
KOSOVO
NATO again bombed Kosovans last week. Winter is not a good time to be a Kosovan refugee so time is against a NATO invasion. US Democrats will not want a Clinton war in a presidential election year.
NATO says that if it stops the bombing, the Serbs will slaughter Kosovar Albanians.
The only Kosovans that the Serbians say they want to
slaughter
are the KLA. From reports it seems that NATO has slaughtered more
Kosovans than so called "Serbian irregular units" are accused of.
NATO has slaughtered Kosovans by the busload, by the tractor column
&
by the refugee camp.
It is more NATO lies courtesy of Bill & Tony.