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* Decriminalise assisted suicide where a free and informed choice has been made. |
* Decriminalise assisted suicide where a free and informed choice has been made. |
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== Economic Reform == |
== Economic Policy: Reform 30/30 == |
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''Much has been said about the need for tax and welfare reform in Australia, but the tyranny of the status quo and self-imposed limitations such as 'budget neutrality' and no 'person-worse-off' relegate any usual reform proposal to failure. Consequently, the LDP does not argue for incremental reform. Instead it offers a new template from which to consider tax and welfare issues, a tax revolution: Reform 30/30.'' |
''Much has been said about the need for tax and welfare reform in Australia, but the tyranny of the status quo and self-imposed limitations such as 'budget neutrality' and no 'person-worse-off' relegate any usual reform proposal to failure. Consequently, the LDP does not argue for incremental reform. Instead it offers a new template from which to consider tax and welfare issues, a tax revolution: Reform 30/30.'' |
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The benchmark of the LDP's economic policy is Reform 30/30. The aims of Reform 30/30 are |
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Reform 30/30 includes a tax-free threshold of $30,000 and a flat income tax of 30%, with no deductions. All income taxes (company, Capital Gains Tax [CGT], Pay As You Go [PAYG], Fringe Benefits Tax [FBT]) would be equal at 30%, and the Medicare levy removed. |
Reform 30/30 includes a tax-free threshold of $30,000 and a flat income tax of 30%, with no deductions. All income taxes (company, Capital Gains Tax [CGT], Pay As You Go [PAYG], Fringe Benefits Tax [FBT]) would be equal at 30%, and the Medicare levy removed. |
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Some elements of Reform 30/30 will work to offset the lost revenue -- such as less unemployment, lower welfare payments, higher economic growth, less tax avoidance, the removal of middle-class welfare and lower administration costs. In addition, the removal of tax expenditures will save the government $30 billion and remove hundreds of inefficient distortions (which will in turn lead to higher economic growth). |
Some elements of Reform 30/30 will work to offset the lost revenue -- such as less unemployment, lower welfare payments, higher economic growth, less tax avoidance, the removal of middle-class welfare and lower administration costs. In addition, the removal of tax expenditures will save the government $30 billion and remove hundreds of inefficient distortions (which will in turn lead to higher economic growth). |
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Full details on this reform policy are contained in Reform 30/30: Rebuilding Australia's Tax and Welfare Systems by John Humphreys |
Full details on this reform policy are contained in Reform 30/30: Rebuilding Australia's Tax and Welfare Systems by John Humphreys: http://www.cis.org.au/publications/policymonographs/pm70.pdf |
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== History == |
== History == |
Revision as of 23:27, 15 February 2007
The Liberal Democratic Party is a small moderate libertarian Australian political party founded in 2001. The party is registered in the Australian Capital Territory, but it is not yet registered federally.
Philosophy
The social policies of the LDP adhere to Libertarian philosophy. The LDP believes the ownership of property is a fundamental right that precedes the power of government.
The LDP upholds the rights of property owners to not be subjected to unnecessary legislation created for their own good. That includes commercial property owners giving permission to visitors to smoke or breast feed on their premises.
Consistent with the principle of the principle of non-interference, the Party acknowledges and respects the rights of others to make their own choices, provided they also accept responsibility for their consequences.
The LDP considers the role of government to be limited to the prevention of coercion in the exercise of choice, including the protection of children, and to ensuring that the consequences of choice are not transferred to others. The LDP favours strong sanctions against crimes that infringe the rights of others, both deliberately and through negligence
Policies Aims
The Liberal Democratic Party of Australia aims to:
- Abolish all affirmative action programmes as they are discriminatory patronising and unfair.
- Abolish all government funded programmes and bodies that cater to particular ethnic, religious or gender groups. All Australians should be regarded as equal before the law, and be granted equality of opportunity.
- Abolish government funding for ineffective bodies such as the Anti Discrimination Commission and Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia.
- Remove the power of all bodies except courts to issue binding decisions on matters such as Discrimination, Harassment, Unfair Dismissal and Vilification.
- Amend relevant legislation so that marriage between two individuals has the same consequences irrespective of whether they were of the same or different gender.
- Decriminalise activities in which the participant is the only person likely to suffer adverse consequences. Examples include dangerous and unwise actions such as failing to wear a seatbelt or crash helmet, BASE jumping and bungy jumping.
- Decriminalise the consumption of pornography involving adults by adults (with safeguards to protect children).
- Decriminalise abortion: other than for later term abortions where the foetus would be viable if born naturally.
- Decriminalise prostitution involving adults.
- Decriminalise assisted suicide where a free and informed choice has been made.
Economic Policy: Reform 30/30
Much has been said about the need for tax and welfare reform in Australia, but the tyranny of the status quo and self-imposed limitations such as 'budget neutrality' and no 'person-worse-off' relegate any usual reform proposal to failure. Consequently, the LDP does not argue for incremental reform. Instead it offers a new template from which to consider tax and welfare issues, a tax revolution: Reform 30/30.
The benchmark of the LDP's economic policy is Reform 30/30. The aims of Reform 30/30 are
Reform 30/30 includes a tax-free threshold of $30,000 and a flat income tax of 30%, with no deductions. All income taxes (company, Capital Gains Tax [CGT], Pay As You Go [PAYG], Fringe Benefits Tax [FBT]) would be equal at 30%, and the Medicare levy removed.
The tax-free threshold (TFT) would be increased to $30,000 per person and all tax expenditures (tax deductions, offsets, and so on) would be removed.
The current welfare system would be replaced by a sliding scale of payments (called a Negative Income Tax or NIT) that phased out at 30% and finished at an income of $30,000.
For example, if you earned $0, you would receive 30% of $30,000 ($9000). If you earned $10,000, you would receive 30% of $20,000 ($6000). If you earn $25,000, you would receive 30% of $5000 ($1500). This would involve a cut in payments to the unemployed and an increase in payments to low-income earners.
One advantage of the NIT is that it removes the need for the minimum wage. Instead of legislating for higher wages, the NIT allows wages to stay at their market rate and instead supplements low incomes with an NIT payment. Removing the minimum wage would result in a significant increase in the number of jobs available.
The effective marginal tax rate (EMTR) is always 30%. The EMTR measures how much of an additional dollar earned goes to the government. Under the current system the EMTR is variable and high. One cause of high EMTRs for people on low-incomes is the overlap of paying income tax and losing welfare payments. This can lead to EMTRs of up to 80% on some of the poorest people in Australia and is called the "poverty trap", and is a major disincentive against getting a job.
The combination of lower unemployment payments, more jobs available and greater rewards for getting a job would lead to a significant increase in employment, and the social capital benefits that go with that (higher self-esteem, more opportunities, greater social participation). Absolute poverty would be reduced and economic growth would increase.
By having a flat tax at the same level as company tax, and removing all tax expenditures (except those necessary to retain the integrity of the income tax system), it would no longer be necessary to complete a tax return. Where the same person both pays income tax and receives welfare: under the LDP's proposals this would be abolished.
Some elements of Reform 30/30 will work to offset the lost revenue -- such as less unemployment, lower welfare payments, higher economic growth, less tax avoidance, the removal of middle-class welfare and lower administration costs. In addition, the removal of tax expenditures will save the government $30 billion and remove hundreds of inefficient distortions (which will in turn lead to higher economic growth).
Full details on this reform policy are contained in Reform 30/30: Rebuilding Australia's Tax and Welfare Systems by John Humphreys: http://www.cis.org.au/publications/policymonographs/pm70.pdf
History
The LDP was founded by John Humphreys in 2001 and was registered in the ACT later that year. They contested their first election for the ACT legislative assembly in October 2001, running candidates in all seats and receiving 1% of the vote (around 2000 votes).
In the 2004 ACT election they again ran candidates in all seats and received 1.3% of the vote.
They did not run candidates in the federal elections of 2004.
In 2005 John Humphreys was replaced by David McAlary as Party President.
On January 7, 2007, the Party held its first National Conference.
External links
- Liberal Democratic Party of Australia official site
- LDP blog
- http://www.cis.org.au/publications/policymonographs/pm70.pdf