The wisdom of H.L.Mencken, an American writer (1880 - 1956)

Politics now is the same as it was 100 years ago. Here is the wisdom of an American writer, H.L. Mencken (1885 - 1953)

"The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself --- Almost inevitably, he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable."

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamerous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."

"An election is an advanced sale of stolen goods."

also I include an observation of one of Mencken's contemporaries, Ernest Benn (1875 - 1954)

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedy".

Have a happy New Year 2015, from Allano.

STOP fiddling with company tax

At last the PM Tony Abbott has relinquished his PPT (Paid Parental Leave) scheme because it is too costly and inappropriate when top priority is for the Government to cut expenditures. The existing Labor scheme is adequate for the time being. Major companies have their own in house schemes and don't want any Government interference.

However, the plan to impose a levy (tax) of 1 1/2% on companies with a taxable income of over $5 million remains. This accounts for about 3000 companies, due to start 15 July, 2015. This is a crazy idea and should not be part of a Conservative Federal Government thinking. Hands off increasing the company tax rate.