By Andrew McPherson, Kalaru
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TO THE less informed among us, the Institute of Public Affairs is an inoffensive name for a lobby group.
The sad truth is that this mob is proud to be the oldest right wing think tank in the world.
Among others, Rupert Murdoch's father helped form it when Rupert was just 12 years old.
It is funded by Murdoch, Gina Rinehart, big tobacco, big drug companies, big banks, the alcohol industry, big gambling, big food, big oil and mining and all the other big end of town corporations.
The IPA is ideologically driven by greed.
Its modus operandi is small government facilitated by privatisation of whatever can be sold off to the corporates so they can get their grubby, greedy hands on more of our hard earned cash.
The creation of a "working poor" class is the end result of this approach.
Just look at the USA for confirmation of this.
Most of us now regard Tony Abbott as a liar.
However, Tony Abbott's word is good to the IPA.
Prior to the last federal election, Abbott promised to push through as much of the IPA's wish list of 75 changes to our laws and lives, and he has achieved much of this already.
In return for his commitment, the Coalition received backing from the Murdoch press throughout the election campaign.
About 60 per cent of the Australian media is controlled by Rupert Murdoch.
As per the IPA's wish list, Abbott has:
Reduced the ABC's budget;
Begun further privatisation of health services;
Abandoned poker machine reform;
Increased university fees;
Drastically reduced funding to the Human Rights Commission;
Installed an IPA operative as a Commissioner on the Human Rights Commission;
Removed the Disability Commissioner from the Human Rights Commission;
Attempted to reform the Racial Discrimination Act (Bolt's Law);
Slashed foreign aid;
Eliminated the carbon tax;
Eliminated the mining tax;
Privatised Medibank Private;
Reduced the renewable energy target;
Defunded the National Preventative Health Agency;
Watered down proposed food labelling changes;
Abolished the Clean Energy Fund; and
Abolished the Department of Climate Change.
All of this, and the changes I have missed, were at the behest of the IPA.
And they are not finished yet.
Among other things, penalty rates are up for the chop.
With literally thousands of people in this electorate dependant on seasonal casual hospitality work (the snow fields and the coast), the effect of this locally would be devastating.
Surely we can rely on our local Federal MP to act in the best interest of his constituents.
With all of the above as background, now hear this.
The good Doctor, Peter Hendy's new 3000 word essay on federalism and tax reform is to be published by none other than the IPA!
Basically the essay calls for no increase in the GST, and to revert to the pre-1942 practice of the states levying an income tax as well (Sydney Morning Herald, 16/4).
Like kids in the schoolyard, this is simple blame shifting, but in this case with obscene ramifications.
I juggle two casual jobs in hospitality.
I surrender my nights and weekends to get work.
I can't wait for the first payslip with no penalty rates (perhaps 15 per cent of my income) and a new "tax" line courtesy of our State Government.
I, like thousands of others, will be at least 20 per cent worse off each and every week.
If Abbott is the IPA's man, and Hendy is Abbott's man, then Hendy is the IPA's man (they are publishing his essay).
Who is our man?