I’m a surgeon earning a reasonable amount. I worked my ass off in uni so that I could earn the reasonably and buy a nice house, drive a nice car etc. Now the Rudd government is telling me “Too bad for doing a good job and being a good community member. We’re going to punish you for the effort you put into your earnings and make you drive a under 57000 dollar car. To hell with it. If I wanted to buy a normal car I would have left school and flipped burger as mcdonalds. I went to uni and got a good job because I wanted to enjoy the luxuries in life. Hell I want a BMW or a Mercedes. I don’t want to have to pay an extra 10 grand for the crime of buying a nice car!

This Labour system will lead to a generation full of dole bludgers and lazy bottoms. For our society to move forward, you have to reward the people who do the most work (rich people). This is just punishing them. And where does the extra money raised by the 33% LCT go to? Giving the dole bludgers’ welfare!

I worked my ass of in Uni and spent a shitload of money so that when I be

Lets keep encouraging underachievers.

I’m sure there are many utes including Ford and Holden that exceed $57k.

Does Rudd want us to drive a Mahinda ute with inferior crash protection and inferior quality?

The $57k+ utes are packed with safety features and provides towing performance which many trades people require.

This tax is hurting working class people.

I’m sure there are many family cars that will exceed $57k as they are packed with ABS, air bags, ESP, EBD etc etc.
Families require the extra space.

This tax is just squeezing the middle class even further.

This is probably the start of further tax rises.

Next year, Rudd better not increase income tax.
If he does, I will have difficulties paying off my house.

As a lower working class person, I don’t believe in penalising rich people either. Rich people employ people which helps keeps food on the table for families. Otherwise, they pack up and go overseas and take the jobs with them.

What benefit did 2020 vision give?
Republic debate?

Is rudd aiming to reward lazy people who don’t want to work?

FBT is another load of rubbish.

Can you also please enlighten us which programs have been cut that deliver benefits to real people that actually need the assistance?

I have lost some of the “handouts” because of the new means testing, but I’m not bitter, it’s not going to impact my livelihood or lifestyle… and it’s a small price to pay to see essential services being improved.

2. State government funding: This is by far the bigger budget (and it varies by state). Something like 80+ % of this funding goes to the public system.

As you correctly stated, the overall funding numbers don’t really mean much, what is the only true indicator is the funding per student. That figure is $10,352 public to $5,613 private, total govt funding (ie. every private school student save the govt nearly $5000).

I think you misread my original statement, regarding the 90 (or 80+) % funding. I said it is “state” as opposed to “federal” or “total” funding.
BTW the Federal funding is dished out according to Beaurau of statistics data on socio-economic status: the poor areas, with lower income families get a higher percentage of it.

the figure showing 5.5Bill V 1.6Bill doesnt paint a clear picture.
for that figure to mean something, it would need to be accompanied by how many public V private schools there are and display a figure per school