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That is not your surplus, Treasurer. It's our money

October 3, 2003

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Spiffing, what. There must be plenty of treasurers in developing countries searching for a copy of the Peter Costello Treasury model. The actual surplus for 2002-03 was a 92 per cent improvement on the amount forecast in the May 2003 budget statement. Just imagine what it could have been if it wasn't for the drought, the war and SARS?

A turnaround of that magnitude in the space of six to eight weeks is a phenomenal display of good fiscal policy in action.

If Mr Costello had known more about the correct amount we would all have been better served by seeing the surplus put back into the community during the year.

But I guess he got it so wrong in May because ... um ... he wasn't told.

Shane Joseph, Lane Cove, October 1.

A surplus like this is like the guy who collects money at a party to buy pizza for everyone, then brings back a single garlic bread and $200 change.

Matthew Herrmann, Randwick, October 2.

Tax cuts sound great, but could I make a request for the Government to spare a thought for the thousands of Australians on social security who are now caught in a debt trap from overpayments, through no fault of their own.

Maybe we could give them a fair go, too, and cancel some of the debt?

Dr Samantha Stevens, Wentworth Falls, October 1.

Look at me, boys. Look at me, John. Look at me, Peter ... I have just two words for you: health and education.

Jo McGahey, Lindfield, October 2.

Perhaps John Howard's remark "If I've got to underwrite everything, then there won't be any money left for tax cuts" ("Children's surgeons quit, more will follow", Herald, October 2) is a suggestion of the way of politics. And I thought running a country would be easy ... You don't give people their money back until you've given them the services they're paying for.

The whole basis of the tax system is to provide the public with a well-founded medical service, a solid education system and some reliable public transport. How can he justify giving us a tax cut?

Tom Riviera, Rose Bay, October 2.

Regarding the loudly whispered pre-election tax cuts, wouldn't income restoration be a more honest description?

Seth Richardson, Surry Hills, October 1.

Does the talk of a tax cut funded by the unexpected surplus mean that the savage cuts and broken "non-core promises" blamed on "Beazley's black hole" have all been made good?

Andrew Lang, Epping, October 1.

Would everybody please cease sending letters about the size of the surplus, why it exists and where it is going. It is abundantly clear that anybody could cut back expenditure on essential infrastructure, contribute actively to its degradation, yet reap tax revenues concurrently and "magically" produce a surplus.

Our political masters tell us that a deficit incurs costs for us all, yet we still seem to be paying, for now, through high taxes and reduced services and will be doing so further in the future when the costs of salinity and other things escalate.

In response to Neil Thacker's question (Letters, October 2), it's not about the country's interests, it's about the here and now of getting elected so they can play with their money. I mean, our money. Which is it again?

A. Janschek, Coogee, October 1.

OK, so the biggest taxing government in our history came in with a surplus. It's about as newsworthy as "Dog bites man". I'm waiting for the headline "Government gives back money, says sorry".

Steve Forsyth, Tumut, October 1.

The most galling aspect of Treasurer Costello's budget surplus of $7.5 billion is that it comes on the back of the continuing downgrade of social services by the Howard Government - and especially that it's our money that allows Costello to stand up there with that smug smile and regale us with his feats of fiscal figure fudging.

The budget can't be stretched to inoculate our children, provide a decent health service or cover pensioners who have been overpaid through no fault of their own. But when it comes to foreign wars, or greasing the palm of some island government to keep a few refugees out of sight, no problem.

Don't try to patronise me with some miserable tax cut, Mr Costello. With your magnificent sleight of hand, why don't you conjure up an affordable tertiary education for my kids, or give me back Medicare as I once knew it? And while you're at it, stop double dipping my superannuation.

Brendan McKeown, Leonay, October 1.

Palestinian funds in dispute

Your reporter's claim that "IMF researchers revealed last week that since 1999 $US900 million of Palestinian funds were channelled into a bank account personally controlled by [President] Arafat" ("Hope amid the rubble", Herald, October 1) has been completely refuted.

The Palestinian Finance Minister, Dr Salman Fayed, said in an interview with Reuters in Dubai on September 22 - reported by Palestinian, Arab and international media - that the $US900 million was taxes collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestine National Authority (PNA) between 1995 and 2000 and which was then handed to the PNA. He denied these funds were put into accounts personally controlled by President Arafat.

He said: "It is not secret that the PNA engages in commercial and investment activities in which it buys shares and bonds. The PNA has financed these activities from the $US900 million." The PNA recently established the Palestine Investment Fund to oversee and control all its investments.

Ali Kazak, Head of Delegation to Australia, State of Palestine, Narrabundah (ACT), October 1.

A sick system

Kay Patterson says that without the medical insurance rebate, people would leave private health insurance and increase the load on public hospitals. She obviously has not noticed that privately insured patients are already a load on the public system. I have two friends and one family member, all with private medical insurance, who chose to be admitted as public patients in public hospitals. The reason: they cannot afford the gaps, pharmacy and other extras associated with the private system.

Our government has created three tiers. The bottom tier has people who cannot afford private medical insurance. The middle has people who struggle to pay for private insurance but who cannot afford to use it when they need it. Then there is the third tier, the big winner. These people have sufficient income to pay medical insurance and can afford to use it. The top tier gets all the bottom- and middle-tier taxpayers to contribute to their insurance rebate. Mean and tricky health policy.

Jacqueline Smith, Vaucluse, October 1.

A slot for the greedy

For those who marched against the "pokie tax": why rely on your club to support worthy community groups and charities through their immoral and socially destructive harvest of pokie profits? If the recipients are so important (and they are), cut out the greedy middle man and give your money to these groups and charities directly.

Peter Sholl, Ashbury, October 2.

An image shattered

Love of the surf, comradeship and altruism inspire our volunteers to join surf lifesaving clubs. Why do they need insurance ("Lifesavers cry out for public rescue", Herald, October 1)? Who's doing the suing? What does it say about our society? I don't remember any talk of such insurance in my youth. I can understand insurance for lifesavers injured in the course of their duties such as for police and firefighters, but we're not talking about that, are we?

Rex Gray, Darling Point, October 1.

How come Surf Lifesaving Australia has to scrounge to cover its public liability insurance when we have a $7.5 billion surplus?

Kate Russell, Hunters Hill, October 1.

Let's rethink tax

Our major parties still don't get it ("PM and Labor move for tax relief", Herald, October 2). Tinkering with the threshold for the top tax rate or providing a tax cut is a short-sighted attempt to manipulate people. The challenge is to reform the income tax system to provide a balanced approach to the collection of revenue and redistribution.

It is obvious that bracket creep should be abolished with indexation of the existing tax scales. Then there would be no need to keep suggesting tax relief to give back what we have already been overpaying.

Michael Blissenden, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Western Sydney, Parramatta, October 2.

So the Government wants the top income earners to have a night out at the movies once a week ($12 a week tax cut for those earning more than $62,500) while kids with spinal injuries wait weeks to see an orthopedic surgeon? Great to see your priorities are in order, Mr Howard.

Kirsten Hartshorne, Glenorie, October 2.

Am I missing something? People who waste their time throwing their money into a metal slot are complaining about a tax increase. Surely, if you don't want to pay the tax, don't play the pokies. Isn't it that simple - and a double whammy to boot?

Neil Leclercq, Valla, October 2.

Sheep first

Refused entry into the country, held in hot, cramped, squalid conditions while another country willing to take them can be found. It is sickening. Just a shame the anger is over sheep, not the plight of asylum seekers.

Even in light of the allegations of government complicity in sending refugees back under false passports, the outrage at the Howard Government's immigration policy is but a mumble.

David Wood, Newtown, October 1.

Arne Rinnan of Norway, where are you? Fifty-two thousand sheep need you.

P. Bradley, Cherrybrook, October 1.

Sliced what?

Snot blocks and pus pies ("Ordering a sanger? Word is there's a snag for the unwary", Herald, October 1)? Never heard of them when I was growing up, going to school and working as a journalist on the local newspaper in Bendigo. Ate many a vanilla slice, though. Snorted with derision when I read this - the town's a world- famous gastronomic centre, noted as the birthplace of Four 'n' Twenty pies and the Chiko roll. Such crudities probably come from Ballarat, and The Macquarie ABC Dictionary got its road map wrong.

Leigh Bottrell, Pyrmont, October 1.

Look at the causes of student violence

Why do people such as Dr Peter Barnes (Letters, October 2) think that using violence against violent students is going to make them less violent. Having worked for many years as a school counsellor, I know that a severe lack of services for family, health, learning difficulties, behaviour problems and job creation has caused severe problems.

Governments have no problem finding millions of dollars to pay for bombs to kill people. Isn't it time something was done to address our social problems while there are still enough dedicated people willing to work in the areas of public service?

Tricia Copp, Tea Gardens, October 2.

Take a walk

What a happy picture of "Walk to Work" fan John Howard (Herald, October 2). Will he walk from Kirribilli House to Canberra?

Mary Shelley Clark, East Lindfield, October 2.

Out to lunch

If a life ban can be imposed on cricketers for sledging ("Sledge and be banned - and for a long time", Herald, October 2), where will we find a team to represent Australia?

Ted Matulevicius, Goonellabah, October 2.

No road sense

More than a week ago Campbell and Bourke streets at Taylor Square were resurfaced. When will the pedestrian crossing be replaced?

In an area known for its high rate of pedestrian accidents (score another this morning), replacing the crossing should be a high priority. Apparently this is a council issue. I'm waiting to hear back.

Scott Abbot, Surry Hills, October 2.

Call that a constituency?

Natalie Shymko reckons she has the right stuff to take Malcolm Jones's upper house seat because she knows the constituency ("Corrupt MP's staff member hopes to win vacant Parliament seat", Herald, October 2).

So she should. If the Outdoor Recreation Party's primary vote is anything to go by, she probably could have the entire "constituency" around for a barbie.

Paul Kidd, Maryville, October 2.

A new dawn

The long leisurely mornings of spring are the best time of the year, spoiled only by the impending "daylight robbery" switch to endless hot evenings. Jason King (Letters, October 1) could alleviate his seasonal lack of sleep by simply going to bed earlier.

Gabrielle Tindall, Bellingen, October 1.

Poking fun

If I can link poker machine tax with the detention centre issue, do I win a prize?

Paul Falconer, Thirroul, October 2.

To save water, 'proof' the dam and grab a chamois

Many years ago in high school the science teacher gave us a lesson on water evaporation. Apparently about 30 per cent of dam water is lost by evaporation.

He gave us an example of how this lost water could be saved. In either Broken Hill or Bourke, I believe, the CSIRO spread a surface active agent on the town's water dam to eliminate or severely reduce evaporation.

Has this method been investigated by Sydney Water?

Allan Hughes, Killara, October 2.

It amuses me to hear Sydney residents debating such importan issues as the difference between using buckets of water or the garden hose to wash their cars. Believe it or not, our car still runs perfectly despite not being washed for several months during the drought - it didn't suffer any adverse effects from the numerous dust storms we had (nothing a chamois over the windscreen couldn't fix) and it certainly looks none the worse for wear now we have had rain (nothing like a good downpour to give a thorough washing).

It's called common sense: when a town's supply is threatened and you face the prospect of water having to be trucked in, you soon work out what your priorities are.

Cathy Lincoln, Alectown, October 2.

Using the "just washed my car" and "left the washing on the line" precipitation theorem, if the powers that be wanted it to rain they should have introduced the water restrictions months ago.

Stephen Driscoll, Carlingford, October 1.

How do we fill our buckets to wash the car? With the hose, of course.

To rinse the suds off, park the car on the grass, use the hose and tell any busybody you're hand-watering the lawn. Easy.

J. Owen, Baulkham Hills, October 1.


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