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A JUST AND EQUITABLE TAX SYSTEM
(4/08/1998) 'There is a need for education on all aspects of the GST and for people to have time to digest it so they can make informed decisions about ir But, who is going to do that for them? They do not really trust the Government to tell them the whole truth,'
Sr Gemma Burke, Pastoral Worker, Emanuel Centre Gunnedah, north western New South Wales.
Gemma Burke is a contributor to TAXATION REFORM: A FAIR GO?, a community discussion paper issued by the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council. Bishop Kevin Manning, Chairman of the Council, said that TAXATION REFORM: A FAIR GO? made a positive contribution to key election issues, by providing a helpful resource for robust and respectful dialogue, enabling the general community to focus on the principles at stake and to assess the various points of view. It also complements the recent statement by the Australian Bishops on tax reform.
Six papers were invited from Catholics known to hold a range of priorities for reform of the taxation system.
John Phillips, a former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, seeks a system that is simple, effective, fair and just and efficient, but is concerned that 'the confrontationist mature of our political system has effectively precluded rational debate on what the changes should be'.
Robert Fitzgerald, immediate past President of the Australian Council of Social Services believes that 'tax reform must be fair and fairness must be built into the system, not added on'.
Toby O'Connor, National Director of the Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission, states that 'the principle of distributive justice demands that progressivity be restored to Australia's direct income tax system'.
The National Vice-President of the National Family Association, Mary Helen Woods, holds that 'taxing the necessities of life, on which families spend all of their disposable incomes, would need such significant compensations built in that it would be unworkable'.
Sr Angela Cassidy and Sr Angela Ryan, Brigidine Sisters involved in social justice issues, point out that 'a taxation system contains a moral dimension, which can have far reaching effects on the lives of many people, particularly on already disadvantaged low income families and the unemployed'.
'Taking care of your mates is a very Australian tradition. Paying your taxes is a way of extending that mateship further, to give everyone in need in our society a fair go,' Bishop Manning concluded.
Further Information:
Bishop Kevin Manning, ACSJC Chair
Ms Sandie Cornish, Chief Executive Officer, ACSJC
Tel: 02 9683 6277
Tel: 02 9956 5811
Mobile: 0416 099 565
Copies of Taxation Reform: A Fair Go? are available for $4 each from the ACSJC, 19 MacKenzie Street, North Sydney NSW 2060Tel: 02 9956 5811 Fax: 02 9923 3440 Email: admin~acsjc.org.au Discounts for bulk orders are available and complimentary copies will be given to journalists for review purposes on request. |
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