One of the big problems I have with Australian retailers is the poor range of product available. Consider items like business shirts. It is hard to get a decent range of patterns in Australia. If you go to Moderntailor.com, you can order from a suite of over 1000 patterns, as well as being able to chose the cuff styling, etc. There was a time when you had to fear overseas stores, but today, product reviews mean you can trust these Chinese entrepreneurs, many of them now Australian, US or Taiwanese citizens; not some dubious business person who you will never track down in China.
In fairness to Australian retailers, they do have to pay extortionately high rates for their premises, whether they are buying or renting. This however is not justification for lobbying to tax Australians. We, the voter, does not get a meaningful choice. These business people get to have lunch and dine with the PM, and they have access to the media which we will never have. If they want to get some market loyalty, this is not the way to go about it.
The problem of high rent/property prices is also another extortion racket run by government. Have you ever wondered why Australian property prices are so high, even though we are among the least populated nations in the world. The Australia government extorts wealth from us by restricting the release of land through zoning policy. This state extortion allows them to raise taxes by increasing the value of land, i.e. The absolute tax rate. It also makes their transport, infrastructure costs less onerous, which would be a good thing if the policy were intended to benefit taxpayers, but its more likely for the sake of some dirty kickback paid into a Swiss bank account. I don't know how to open one of those....ask the former Senator Graham Richardson. I think he has a huge block of land in the Southern Highlands of Bowral...or did he turn it into a golf course and medium rise apartments?
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