I think the headline is meant to scare the Brits – but it shouldn’t bother thoughtful people. It would certainly be a move in the right direction in view of Britain’s straitened circumstances.
Liberal-Democrat elder statesman Cable knows his stuff and has thought this one through.
But he’s got Tweedledee and Tweedledum to contend with, and unfortunately much of the British public believes the Tories and Labour know what they’re doing. Bzzzzt! Wrong!
Good luck to you and the Lib-Dems, Vince: see if you can get Cleggie up off his backside!
Trying to impose a federal or national land tax on homeowners is, it seems to me, utterly hopeless. I’m afraid I gave up on that years ago.
That’s why I was surprised or amazed to see Ken Henry propose the idea.
The traditional Australian approach of devolving land or rating authority to local government seems to me the best way to go. And reduce, not increase, grants to lower levels of government.
Perhaps federal government could propose a tax on commercial land (exempting family home or farm) and hypothecate the revenue to infrastructure development. We might be able to sell that – maybe.