Elect your FSN statesmen (final round!)

[Rietie]

Woops. Forgot to vote. Now Eriny is in front. Yay.

[Eriny]

Hmm. That's odd. My original post has seemed to sink in the abyss. Once again:

Well, I'm supporting Eriny (awesome ideas). I was also wondering if Eriny was in support of making Australia a republic? Sorry if she already answered this question.

By the way, Eriny, are you by any chance studying or going to study sociology, anthropology, development studies or geography? You sound a bit like my sister who has studied all those subjects

I'm for Australia becoming a republic in principle although I understand that we're probably a constituational monarchy out of convenience rather than British ties.
And nope, I'm not doing any of those subjects but, I am doing political science and from what I've heard, development studies is pretty interdiciplinary and includes quite a few politics classes.

Eriny's view of government and society can be summed up in a few phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

Does that make sense? Rocks don't move but I'm not planning to subsidise them. Also, if you look carefully, I'm actually for quite a lot of dereguation. I'm for things like free and fair trade and so on.

I don't know how unpaid maternity leave will increase discrimination. Large firms won't be out of pocket any more than normally, the only difference is that women will have increased job security for a longer period of time. Further, as more men are staying home to care for their children, anti-feminist discrimination within the workforce should decrease.


It would also be an unwise policy to eliminate all income taxation at once. Even if such a policy was something I agree with and it could actually pass the senate, taxation would be gradually lowered before eventually going to zero. I think you'll find that in my scenario, taxation would be about the same rate as it is now, although I'd possibly look to reducing business tax a little in the longer term (because it opens up more funds for investment and employment opportunities and should also decrease inflation).

Also, education makes us who we are and it's an important part of civilisation and restoring the difference between the wealth one is born into and can make for themselves. Further, the world is better if knowledge is better because it's only through knowledge we can progress. And, through learning, people are equipped with skills that deem them useful and allow them to question what's around them.

In regards to the Aboriginal people, we need to ensure there is proper enforcement of the law - however, I do not believe in special treatment. The Indigenous people are as able as us, we are all capable individuals.

Indeed. Aboriginal people will always have to abide by the law. However, there are obviously problems isolated within some communities which cannot be ignored and who better to solve these problems than the community themselves? They know better than I do which issues are the most pressing.

[Collin Li]

Humanitarian and environmental ideas and thoughts please.

Seen your thoughts on Carbon tax, but also other issues eg. water.

The water problems that face Australia can be summed up as government intervention. Keeping water subsidised (running state water utilities at a loss) is a sure-fire way to prevent Australian consumers from thinking twice before they use their taps to create a shortage of water. Water is often an abundant and relatively infinite good in nature, so the harms of government intervention are not noticed until the water begins to resemble a common market good - one that is scarce. Now that we have a drought, we can start to feel the pains of such policy. To recognise the scarcity of water, we need to stop using taxpayers money to fund the consumption of water. Ultimately, the water will end up in the hands of those who can use it the best. Government interventions that subsidise the cost of water also prevent private enterprise from creating cheap solutions that will provide more fresh water to us, because the costs far outweigh the benefits. Instead, these private companies will lobby to state governments for a grant, which opens up the whole process of big government sleeping with big business.

I don't know how unpaid maternity leave will increase discrimination. Large firms won't be out of pocket any more than normally, the only difference is that women will have increased job security for a longer period of time. Further, as more men are staying home to care for their children, anti-feminist discrimination within the workforce should decrease.

Having paid maternity leave made mandatory is pretty much the equivalent of tacking a tariff on the hiring of young/middle-aged women. The bosses know there is an extra cost involved with hiring female workers, so they will prefer the male counterparts (when possible).

It would also be an unwise policy to eliminate all income taxation at once. Even if such a policy was something I agree with and it could actually pass the senate, taxation would be gradually lowered before eventually going to zero. I think you'll find that in my scenario, taxation would be about the same rate as it is now, although I'd possibly look to reducing business tax a little in the longer term (because it opens up more funds for investment and employment opportunities and should also decrease inflation).

I never proposed this, just to clarify. I did not mention any policy on taxation reform, but it would be gradual just like my slashing of tariffs would be.

Indeed. Aboriginal people will always have to abide by the law. However, there are obviously problems isolated within some communities which cannot be ignored and who better to solve these problems than the community themselves? They know better than I do which issues are the most pressing.

Agreed. We should have learnt from the Stolen Generation that government intervention often leads to disastrous consequences. The so called 'wise men' in Parliament, regardless of their fine suits and ties, do not know the answer to everyone's problems.

[costargh]

The water problems that face Australia can be summed up as government intervention. Keeping water subsidised (running state water utilities at a loss) is a sure-fire way to cause Australian's to produce a shortage of water. Water is often an abundant and relatively infinite good in nature, so the harms of government intervention are not noticed until the water begins to resemble a common market good - one that is scarce. To enshrine the scarcity of water, we need to stop using taxpayers money to fund the consumption of water. Ultimately, the water will end up in the hands of those who can use it the best. Government interventions that subsidise the cost of water also prevent private enterprise from creating cheap solutions that will provide more fresh water to us, because the costs far outweigh the benefits. Instead, these private companies will lobby to state governments for a grant, which opens up the whole process of big government sleeping with big business.

My mortgage is up, I'm barely able to get the food on the table for the kids. If deregulation of the water market occurs the cost to me the consumer will inevitably increase no doubt?
How am I going to live?
Water is a neccesity of life; if not the most essential element of survival. Why should I have to pay so much just to live?
(BTW this is just a mock)

Eriny what are your views?

[Collin Li]

I am aware that consumption taxes (taxes tacked onto the purchase of a good) hurt the poor. This is because the poor spend a much larger percentage of their income than the rich (the rich have more surplus). In order to help the poor meet the costs of consumption, I am willing to explore options for redistribution, such as negative taxation, or by tax rebates.

In fact, the major reason why I have not stood up to support taxation reform is because the option of a consumption tax (read FairTax) is often branded as being unfair to the poor. However, the FairTax has a detailed repayment scheme that is based on family sizes and statistics about their exogenous consumption (consumption that they will - and must - make regardless of income).

[gfb]

Collin for president ! 

[brendan]

Humanitarian

Just exactly what has been said that doesn't relate to humans and their welfare?

[Rietie]

I'm a bit annoyed with Coblin's comment on paid maternity leave. Or maybe I'm just annoyed with society, where females are still not treated not only in the workplace (especially pay wise), but also the treatment of women in public by males. It seems society (especially women) has forgotten that women have not achieved everything they asked and wanted to achieve through the feminist movement; and that males still think its okay to drunkenly slur insults at us or grope us. Geez...


Alright, enough of my feminist ranting... on with the debate!
(I may have gotten these views from going to a female school where the school motto by our founder is 'women in time will do much' said in the 1600's or something, and was criticized by all these male church people for being radical and a feminist.... yeh)

[costargh]

Humanitarian

Just exactly what has been said that doesn't relate to humans and their welfare?

Sorry.
Humanitarian aid.

[melodrama]

Alright, enough of my feminist ranting... on with the debate!
(I may have gotten these views from going to a female school where the school motto by our founder is 'women in time will do much' said in the 1600's or something, and was criticized by all these male church people for being radical and a feminist.... yeh)

yeah i went to a girls' school, so i became a feminist. a neo-feminist :D
nah i'm joking.

[Collin Li]

I'm a bit annoyed with Coblin's comment on paid maternity leave. Or maybe I'm just annoyed with society, where females are still not treated not only in the workplace (especially pay wise), but also the treatment of women in public by males. It seems society (especially women) has forgotten that women have not achieved everything they asked and wanted to achieve through the feminist movement; and that males still think its okay to drunkenly slur insults at us or grope us. Geez...

I am sympathetic with your viewpoint. I believe that females can do just as well as men in many roles, and in other roles, females better than men. We all have our own advantages, and gender is not an issue for a wide variety of jobs. However, I don't believe that support for mandatory paid maternity leave will help your cause. It will only attach a monetary benefit to discrimination (if you choose a male worker instead of a female worker, you don't have to pay maternity leave - see it from the eyes of an employer!)

[costargh]

I'm a bit annoyed with Coblin's comment on paid maternity leave. Or maybe I'm just annoyed with society, where females are still not treated not only in the workplace (especially pay wise), but also the treatment of women in public by males. It seems society (especially women) has forgotten that women have not achieved everything they asked and wanted to achieve through the feminist movement; and that males still think its okay to drunkenly slur insults at us or grope us. Geez...


Alright, enough of my feminist ranting... on with the debate!
(I may have gotten these views from going to a female school where the school motto by our founder is 'women in time will do much' said in the 1600's or something, and was criticized by all these male church people for being radical and a feminist.... yeh)

If females don't get equal pay in the workplace maybe it's because they aren't seen as valuable to their organisations. I'm not saying that they aren't valuable but why should organisations pay women the same as men if organisations don't see what they bring to the company as being equal to what some males do.

It is not a matter of females vs males. A lot of females would earn more than males and that is because their labor is more valuable or needed by organisations then by other males.

Edit: I AM MERELY OFFERING A VIEW OF BUSINESSES AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT FEMALES ARE LESS ADEQUATE IN ROLES THAT THEY RECEIVE IN THEIR CAREERS!

As for men in society, the same goes for a lot of females that I've met. At work on Saturday one of the front counter girls grabbed my ass twice as I was talking to the manager. (Not that I hated it lol). But I'm sure if I did that to a girl at work (with whom I had no relationship with) I'd be in a hell of a lot of shit.

[brendan]

Humanitarian

Just exactly what has been said that doesn't relate to humans and their welfare?

Sorry.
Humanitarian aid.

Just what has been said that doesn't concern itself with aiding humans and improving their welfare?

[Collin Li]

If you are referring to foreign aid, I will be cautious about it. I don't see the point of taxing the middle class of this country to pay for the lavish expenditures of the corrupt leaders in some countries. Instead, I see much more meaningful effort coming out of voluntary charity that is driven by true compassion, rather than by coercion and confiscation.

[costargh]

Humanitarian

Just exactly what has been said that doesn't relate to humans and their welfare?

Sorry.
Humanitarian aid.

Just what has been said that doesn't concern itself with aiding humans and improving their welfare?

Nothing. You win.

But just to clear up what I am referring to.
"

Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises."
"The funding and delivery of humanitarian aid is increasingly being organized at an international level to facilitate faster and more effective responses to major emergencies affecting large numbers of people (eg. see Central Emergency Response Fund)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_aid