Earlier this week, quintessential Aussie battler, Duncan Storrar, appeared on ABC’s Q&A with a reality check for Australia’s politicians on the issue of tax reform.
DUNCAN STORRAR asked: I have a disability and limited education. I’ve been a low income earner my whole life and as such I pay a larger percentage of my income in taxes than the average Australian. Lifting my tax free threshold would change mine and my children’s life. How come rich people get a lift in there threshold? It means nothing to them but to me it would mean my kids hear something else apart from “sorry girls daddy is broke”?…
As shown in the above video, Liberal Assistant Treasurer, Kelly O’Dwyer, noted that the Budget’s tax reforms were “all about balance”, to which Storrar replied:
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“To rich people it is a Coke and a milkshake or whatever… To me it changes my children’s life … People who make $80,000 a year … well, they don’t even notice it, love. We notice that sort of stuff.”
Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group, then argued:
“I’ve tried to be really polite. I’ve tried to be really polite. Um, Duncan, I’ll be harsh in my message. If you’re on the minimum wage and with a family, you would not pay much tax, if any at all. Would you? You would not pay much tax. But I’m talking about…”
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To which Storrar replied:
“I pay tax every time I go to the supermarket, every time I hop in my car…”
Needless to say, Storrar stole the show and his remarks have gone viral over the past few days, with most outlets sympathetic to Storrar’s plight.
Not The Australian, however, which has run a campaign against Storrar for paying zero net income tax. Take the below front page from yesterday’s edition:
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And The Australian’s smear campaign against Storrar has continued today.
Unfortunately for The Australian, its campaign has already backfired, with several commentators noting that News Australia Holdings, the company that owns The Australian, paid no tax in the 2013/14 financial year despite pulling in around $2.8 billion in revenue. From Junkee:
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Given that huge companies not paying their fair share of tax is shaping up to be one of the election’s biggest issues, the Australian might have just unwittingly helped Storrar’s case.
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness.
Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.
