Today on talkback, it’s all about the coalition’s promised tax cuts. Some callers welcome the extra dosh in their pocket, but a surprising number of people aren’t buying it, saying they’d prefer that the money was spent on education, infrastructure, health and climate change. There may be a way out of this tax wedgie for Rudd yet…

As for our talkback caller of the day, today it’s Steven from Canberra:

ABC 666 Canberra (Canberra), Morning, 16/10/2007 09:31AM Compere: Alex Sloan
Talkback — Caller Steven says he is all for tax cuts and claims that beer is set to go up because of the drought so he is happy that they are going to give him back money so he can afford his weekly six pack.

And now, to matters non-alcoholic…

NSW:

  • 2GB (Sydney), Mornings, 10:33AM Compere: Jason Morrison
    Caller Bill says last week Mr Rudd was commenting that he was going to send $45 million to Asia for cancer treatment. He says this is confusing to him and he asks where is all that money coming from. Morrison says this is not even in the league of $34 billion in tax cuts. Bill says we speak English in Aust and he’s not impressed with Kevin Rudd speaking Mandarin. Morrison says he was disappointed not to get more than a ‘vague commentary’ from Wayne Swan, Shadow Fed Treasurer, on how Labor plans to respond to the Fed Govt’s tax cuts.
  • ABC Illawarra (Wollongong), Mornings, 10:19AM Compere: Nick Rheinberger
    Federal election. Caller, Bruce, says people should take the tax cut and run with it. He is going to put his extra income into super. He says interest rates were extremely high under Labor.
  • 2SM (Sydney), Mornings, 10:07AM Compere: Leon Delaney
    Caller, Victor, says Howard has spoken of being full of fresh ideas but says it is just the same old plan of offering tax cuts. He says with $34b over five years you could ‘fix up hospitals forever,’ offer dental plans, put in major infrastructure and so on. Delaney says the cut equates to $30 a week for those on the median salary. Victor says people have lost overtime and other entitlements due to John Howard and ‘he owes us more than a tax cut.’ He says the $2.4b announced last week for the Pacific Hwy is ‘nothing.’ He says Howard has promised to put Aboriginals in the Constitution and offered tax cuts but at the moment we have ‘no Govt with vision.’ Delaney says when tax cuts were announced in the May Budget there was no impact on the opinion polls. Delaney says hospitals and highways ‘are state government responsibilities’.
  • 2UE (Sydney), Mornings, 09:53AM Compere: John Laws
    Caller Anna says she believes the Fed Govt’s tax-free threshold of $20,000 will help Australian battlers. She says last night, John Howard, PM, made a mistake on the interest rates on A Current Affair. She says Kevin Rudd, Fed Oppn Leader, also made mistakes on the average wage and the media is not reporting that. She says her mum is in a nursing home and is very well looked after. She asks what Kevin Rudd means when he uses the phrase ‘education revolution’. She says Qld hospitals were doing well when they used to be run by boards and things haven’t got any better under the more recent policies of centralisation. Laws quotes a poll which has found 86% of respondents claim to not be influenced by political advertisements.
  • 2UE (Sydney), Mornings, 09:33AM Compere: John Laws
    Caller Margaret says she saw John Howard, PM, interviewed on television and she is critical of his govt’s huge advertising spending budget. She asks the $34 billion in tax cuts won’t help the parents of sick children in hospital, or old people lying in wet beds in nursing homes with staffing shortages. She says this money could be better spent on hospitals, roads and police. Laws says the Fed Govt doesn’t have any money, other than the money the electorate gives them. Laws says he has sympathy for the number of Austns who are doing it tough at the moment. Margaret says John Howard is not down on the level where everyday people live. She says she likes the fact that Kevin Rudd says the buck stops with him.
  • 2GB (Sydney), Mornings, 10:36AM Compere: Jason Morrison
    Caller Pamela says with Kevin Rudd, Fed Oppn Leader, talking about working families being under stress, she says the tax cuts announced by the Fed Govt is a ‘darned good idea’. She says Rudd has been talking about improving the skills shortage, but we’ve been trying to for years train a lot of people where so many positions are available here. She says it wouldn’t matter how many schools or technical colleges are set up, it’s going to take time. Morrison says a lot of analysts claim the job creation will be massive as a result of the Fed Govt’s announcement yesterday. Pamela says she knows people who have three jobs and they’re saving and paying off their houses.
  • ABC North Coast NSW (Lismore), Mornings, 09:21AM Compere: Vicki Kerrigan
    Caller Terry is against the proposed tax cuts put forward by the Prime Minister. He thinks it is ‘airy fairy nonsense’. Terry thinks the money should be returned to the states.
  • ABC 702 Sydney (Sydney), Mornings, 08:46AM Compere: Virginia Trioli
    Caller Cathy says the tax cuts ‘are a nonsense’. She says interest rates go up and down, governments come and go, and tax rates change, but what she’s looking for is long term change like tax deductible childcare.
  • ABC North Coast NSW (Lismore), Breakfast, 07:43AM Compere: Justine Frazier
    Caller Gemooa(*) claims the tax cuts promised by the Prime Minister would build 13,600 houses at $250,000 each for people who cannot even get a room to rent.

VICTORIA:

  • ABC 774 Melbourne (Melbourne), Mornings, 09:46AM Compere: Jon Faine
    Caller Lisa says she would like to take the tax cuts as she is paying enough on GST. Lisa says Professor Patricia Apps was focused on getting mothers into full time work but as a mother she does not have time for it. Lisa says anything that helps her take part-time work is good and families on lower incomes should be the greater beneficiaries of tax cuts. Faine quotes Bill Evans, Chief Economist, Westpac saying they are putting more money in people’s hands rather than the Govt deciding how it is spent. Lisa says most women find childcare standards are not good enough.
  • ABC 774 Melbourne (Melbourne), Mornings, 09:44AM Compere: Jon Faine
    Caller Nicholas says he is not happy with Treasurer Peter Costello’s tax cuts as he would prefer the money be spent on tackling climate change, universities, hospitals and migrant programs. Nicholas quotes a report in The Age newspaper showing the $200,000 tax bracket gets a similar cut to $20,000 wage earners. Nicholas says it will put pressure on interest rates and inflation.
  • ABC 774 Melbourne (Melbourne), Mornings, 09:43AM Compere: Jon Faine
    Caller Georges says PM John Howard’s tax cuts would be better spent on hospitals, doctors and the mentally ill, TAFE colleges that are falling apart, and teachers battling for wage justice. Georges says they are state govt responsibilities but Fed Govt cuts to the states need to be addressed, as does the kindergarten system, which relies on fundraising, as well as battling pensioners and the lack of transport infrastructure.
  • 3AW (Melbourne), Morning, 09:25AM Compere: Neil Mitchell
    Host is taking calls on any topic. Caller Peter says Fed Treasurer Peter Costello’s tax package is flimsy, doesn’t go far enough and suggests reducing the GST by 1%. He also comments on interest rates.

ACT:

  • ABC 666 Canberra (Canberra), Morning, 09:10AM Compere: Alex Sloan
    Talkback – – Caller Brian says a slogan such as going for broke would be more attributable to this campaign and this announcement indicates why we need a change of Government and is another sign of John Howard appealing to people’s material instinct when he is in trouble. Martin says that the budget allows the Government to financially afford these tax cuts. Brian claims this tax policy does not offer any vision to build a sustainable economic system.
  • ABC 666 Canberra (Canberra), Morning, 09:31AM Compere: Alex Sloan
    Talkback – – Caller Steven says he is all for tax cuts and claims that beer is set to go up because of the drought so he is happy that they are going to give him back money so he can afford his weekly six pack.
  • ABC 666 Canberra (Canberra), Morning, 09:31AM Compere: Alex Sloan
    Talkback – – Caller Steven says he is all for tax cuts and claims that beer is set to go up because of the drought so he is happy that they are going to give him back money so he can afford his weekly six pack.

TASMANIA:

  • ABC 936 Hobart (Hobart), Statewide Mornings, 09:14AM Compere: Tim Cox
    Caller Trevor says that tax cuts are wonderful but says that if John Howard, Australian Prime Minister, was really concerned about the wellbeing of Aust citizens he should drop the GST on petrol. He says that the GST is an absolute ripoff.

QUEENSLAND:

  • ABC 612 Brisbane (Brisbane), Mornings, 09:07AM Compere: Madonna King 
    – Caller Stephanie works for two state schools and a TAFE college, in community liaison. Stephanie says they can work together with other schools in the district and thinks this is a better plan than creating super schools. Stephanie also wants to talk about the Federal Govt’s announcement of more tax cuts, which she calls ‘bribery’, and thinks that money should be spent on health and education.
  • BC 612 Brisbane (Brisbane), Mornings, 10:43AM Compere: Madonna King
    –Caller Merv says he thinks tax cuts of the order that the coalition is talking about would fuel inflation but do little for the average person. Merv says interest rates are the highest in the developed world. -Caller Kevin says he would prefer to see tax cuts spent on services. -Caller Mark says as an individual policy the tax cuts will not change his mind. –Caller Fiona says she would like to see more money spent on education and early childhood development. -Caller Desley says she would like to see children’s sporting activities subsidised.
  • ABC 612 Brisbane (Brisbane), Mornings, 10:28AM Compere: Madonna King
    -Caller Anna says she works for the Australian Conservation Foundation. Anna says there is an evident need to spend budget surpluses on addressing climate change. –Caller Ken says he thinks federal Treasurer Peter Costello has had 12 budgets in the past and all of a sudden he has found tax cuts. -Caller Alan says he thinks the tax cuts should be spent on services such as upskilling and education.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:

  • 5AA (Adelaide), Bob Francis, 09:26PM Compere: Brian Bennett
    Bill also talks about tax saying the Reserve Bank once warned that if too much money is spent on tax relief it could overheat the economy and send interest rates up. He says tax cuts may not be good for the irrigators on the Murray because they’re not earning any income. He says it’s a funny economy with the good times on the mineral boom side and bad on the farmers’ side. He says the money for tax cuts could go a long way for desalination plants and things we really need.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA:

  • 6PR (Perth), Morning, 08:54AM Compere: Simon Beaumont
    Caller Mike says the Govt has taxed us too heavily if they have that much money in the bank. Mike says there have been five interest rate rises and this particular tax cut will just throw petrol on inflation. Mike notes that everybody has teeth but says Medicare does not cover teeth. Beaumont expects announcements on dental care and pensioners before the election campaign is over. Mike talks of what it costs to become a doctor thanks to the Govt’s policies.
  • 6PR (Perth), Morning, 08:49AM Compere: Simon Beaumont
    Caller Grace talks of John Howard’s tax proposal and says she does not think the Govt can afford to pay for this so they will likely put up the GST. Beaumont notes The Australian newspaper is reporting that there is an extra $59b in the coffers at the moment due to the booming economy.
  • ABC 720 Perth (Perth), Mornings, 08:43AM Compere: Geoff Hutchison
    Caller Peter says John Howard has tailored the tax cuts to the wrong people.