Article by Gina Rinehart, courtesy of The Advertiser
Governments can’t make it rain but they could rid South Australia’s struggling farmers of much pain at the stroke of a pen, writes Gina Rinehart.
It was heartbreaking to see during my visit to South Australia the impact of the severe drought – the worst in 40 years.
While governments can’t make it rain, they can stop making life tougher for farmers and that could happen immediately.
I’m not one for government handouts or bailouts, which actually mean, in the long-run, higher taxes or more government debt to pay for these.
There are better and more efficient ways to help farmers: Stop taking their hard-earned money away!
Cut government licence fees, cut charges, ease regulations, and cut state taxes. Many of these were meant to end more than two decades ago when the GST came in.
Do it immediately for families and businesses in drought declared areas and repay the farmers what they’ve paid already this financial year.
Leave the money in farmers’ pockets!
It is inefficient and wasteful for the state to collect the money and then redistribute, with its accompanying massive paperwork.
Governments can quickly respond to emergency situations like droughts by allowing more money just to stay in these communities.
For example, only recently The Advertiser reported the alarming news that country residents would be facing some of South Australia’s largest council rate rises.
This was waved through despite the existing pressure of the cost-of-living crisis and the worst drop in standard of living in all the developed countries – plus the impact of the drought.
They’ve hit people the hardest at a time they can least afford it.
The list of licence fees and regulations targeting the dairy industry, livestock, poultry and grain farmers would shock most people.
Credit must go to the Malinauskas government for having lower payroll tax than many other states, but payroll tax is still unjustifiable and defies logic.
Car and farming vehicle registrations could be removed for drought-declared regions with the stroke of a pen.
The Advertiser is right when it calls for a break for the farmers immediately on the Emergency Services Levy.
We have never had government so big as we do now in Australia.
On one hand, this growing expense needs more taxpayers and taxpayer revenue to pay for government growth, and yet, on the other hand, bigger government brings in more government red tape, regulations and compliance.
They’ve made it harder and harder. This doesn’t add up, does it?
It won’t make it rain but let’s start with a ‘hand-up’ rather than a ‘hand-out’.
