A Question for Aussies - Compulsary $2?

Question

Hi All, I have a question. I was thinking of what the gov isn't doing for our Health & Education System, Homeless People, People living below the poverty line etc. The government seems to prefer upgrading sporting stadiums than give our hard earned $ to hospitals, they build tram lines to entertatinment venues that are only used about 30 weeks a year rather than upgrade the public transport system for growing outer suburbs etc. My solution was this: Make it compulsary that $2.00 each week from each person's pay is put into 'an account' & an independent group then divides the money up according to what the people of Australia want - This means australias workforce of 10,691,000 could generate $21,382,000 each week to aid charities, donate to hospitals, schools, community groups, youth groups, struggling aussies etc in each state because it seems like our government isn't listening to us and acting on what we want OUR tax money spent on... Australians, your thoughts??

Answer 1

Sounds like a good idea.

It would need to be set up with the use of federal legislation, have ALL possible safeguards put in place - considering who was ultimately receiving monies and the potential for good, penalties for any breaches could be punishable by gaol only - no community work or suspended sentences.

It would also need to have a charter which was non-changeable and legislation which was non-repealable (with no sunset clause), so that govenments of any day could not repeal the legislation and divert the monies into general revenue, such as has happened in the past, with levies etc.

You would need to have guidelines, as to could receive monies from this fund - people being people, you'll have a number of people not entitled to, but becoming a charity (for one area of funding only), as they enjoy either tax breaks or pay no tax (I'm not sure as to which).

You could use existing government administration (independent of government policies) to adminstrate the fund and disclose who was actually receiving money from this fund (with the legislation making FULL financial disclosure, as to where all money was going; available anytime through Freedom of Information, online, or through your Member of Parliament's office). Money decisions would be broken down to electorates and then dispursed to declared worthy organisations, charities or needy people (indentified as such).

As I already stated, governments would not have any choice regarding full declaration - they could not publish group financial breakdowns  (totals and sub-totals) nor make changes to their financial reports, or administrative practises, as they do now. Un-repealable legislation would prevent it.

Of course, we would need a system of government such as the Swedish system, where you could petition the government to hold a ballott, to allow such a fund to begin.