A 50% increase in the tax on the things Australians buy every day is to fund “a big, fat corporate tax cut”, writes an online activism group fighting the government plan. GetUp! says in an appeal to its more than a million members: “The investment banks are screaming for it.1 The big accountancy firms and Rio Tinto want it, bad.2 And according to media reports, Treasurer Scott Morrison wants to give it to them.3 But he has to sell it to the public first.” GetUp! says they’ve learned “that the big end of town is lining up to do his dirty work by backing a massive advertising blitz to sell Australians on corporate tax cuts”.4
The donation-funded activists call for quick and bold action to defeat the corporations’ PR con job, with media reporting that this could force the government into fairer tax reforms GetUp members funded and fought for.5
GetUp! has a string of campaigning successes to its name. Its plan in this case:
“We build a powerful new piece of progressive infrastructure to conduct
cutting-edge political research and analysis through polling, focus groups and
more. To beat the combined forces of big business, we make it a shared
resource with our allies, to power a coordinated advertising blitz and
grassroots campaigning across the movement. But to fund it we need hundreds of new Core
Members, who make a regular donation to support our work.”
GetUp! argues that the business lobby have convinced politicians to give them
big handouts by dominating the economic debate for decades. They win because
their campaigns are better researched and coordinated.
“Here's how we turn that around:
- “Cutting-edge research. Conduct polling, focus groups and use new research methods to determine the best way to talk to Australians about our vision of tax and the economy. All with help from one of America's top experts in developing the progressive messages that win.
- “Campaign hub. Create a hub for gathering and analysing this research and sharing it across the progressive movement. Progressive spokespeople will have the best arguments to win over Australians and allies will have the best basis to make powerful political advertising, all with a consistent, proven message.
- “Empowering the grassroots. Build more powerful tech tools for GetUp members and allies to write letters to the editor, call talkback radio and influence their friends and family through social media. It's what we do best.
“Damaging news broke this week that
Apple paid only $85 million tax on $8 billion in Australian revenue (that's
just 1%).6 That's after revelations by the Tax Office that
579 major corporations paid no tax — nothing — on $405 billion in revenue.7
Just 2% of that each year could restore all the Abbott cuts to our local
schools and hospitals.
“Still, instead of getting more from corporate tax dodgers, the government
wants to hike the GST to 15%, primarily to fund big tax cuts for corporations
and the very wealthy.8 It shows the power and influence that
cashed-up political donors continue to have over our government, unless we do
something to shake things up.
“The government is also considering tax options that reduce wasteful handouts
to the wealthy to primarily fund tax cuts that benefit everyone and put more in
the super accounts of everyday Australians.9
“So right now we're on the brink of some major victories or about to lose
even more to the wealthy power brokers and corporate tax cheats. The fight will be won by the side with the
best campaign, so click here to help fund the fight each week.
References:
[1] "FSC calls for 22pc company tax", Money Management, 19 January
2016
[2] "Scott Morrison's tax advisers want public 'educated' on low corporate
tax", Sydney Morning Herald, 28 January 2016
[3] "Two tax options, but only one lifts the GST", The Australian,
16 January 2016
[4] "Scott Morrison's tax advisers want public 'educated' on low corporate
tax" 28 January 2016
[5] "Two tax options, but only one lifts the GST", The Australian,
16 January 2016
[6]"Apple's $85 million tax bill is a fraction of its almost $8 billion
revenue" Sydney Morning Herald26 June 2016
[7] "Tax Office to name 579 companies that paid no tax: AFR", Australian
Financial Review, 17 December 2015
[8] "Scott Morrison's tax advisers want public 'educated' on low corporate
tax", Sydney Morning Herald, 28 January 2016
[9] Same as above.