Australia is sometimes called the Lucky Country in reference to the fact that nobody should be able to prosper in this harsh environment. Another well-worn moniker is The Wide Brown Land, for Australia, at almost the size of the continental United States, is about 60% desert – a huge brown island with it’s small, 20-odd million, population clinging to the green fringes around the edge. It is the world’s lowest, flattest continent and the second driest, after Antarctica. There ain’t a lot of water lying around.
This harsh land has instilled in Australians a sense of comradeship, or mateship and a deep admiration for the underdog, the battler who struggles against the odds with dogged determination and a wry grin. Aussies pride themselves on helping each other and especially the hallowed institution of The Fair Go, the idea that everyone should get an equal opportunity. These are ideas as fundamental to the Australian identity as the concept of ‘liberty’ is to Americans, part of the mythology. I have noticed a distinct and alarming twisting of this ideal in the seven years I have had the good fortune of residing here, and it worries me enough to consider leaving.
The noble Fair Go is degrading into its uglier and more common cousin, the I Want What He Got, the fear of missing out. I know people who sold their house for about what they were asking then found their neighbour sold for more. Now they feel they have somehow been done out of $20,000 and brood and complain over it constantly. Not fair they say. People are no longer content with equal opportunity they expect equal results as a right, without effort on their own part. To me it’s lazy, complacent and shows an alarming lack of understanding of one basic truth. Life’s a bitch.
As I said it’s only recently this change has become apparent, roughly the length the current government has been in power – 12 years or so. That same government this very morning confirmed a proposal whereby it now wants to TAX RAIN. Yes, the water which occasionally falls from the sky is now a commodity - apparently owned by the government.
Because of tight water restrictions many city-dwellers own water tanks which collect rain water for use on their gardens, washing the car etc. And most rural properties collect rain water in tanks for domestic use as well as in damns or ponds for livestock and crops. Australia has a high salt table and most well water is not potable. Whether collected in home tanks or in reservoirs to supply the cities, rain is the source of water for Australia. The government already encourages neighbors to turn in neighbors who break water restrictions.
Apparently some bright spark pointed out that some quantity of rain water which would have found its way into reservoirs was being greedily snatched up and kept in tanks by free-loading farmers and assorted other riff-raff. Water that otherwise the government could have sold back to various town councils, who in turn sell it to home-owners in the form of property tax and water rates. Not fair, says the government, these people are effectively stealing water and need to be taxed for it.
I suppose next they’ll tax pedestrians, since by walking, they are doing the government out of potential fuel taxes. Yeah, that’d be fair.
This harsh land has instilled in Australians a sense of comradeship, or mateship and a deep admiration for the underdog, the battler who struggles against the odds with dogged determination and a wry grin. Aussies pride themselves on helping each other and especially the hallowed institution of The Fair Go, the idea that everyone should get an equal opportunity. These are ideas as fundamental to the Australian identity as the concept of ‘liberty’ is to Americans, part of the mythology. I have noticed a distinct and alarming twisting of this ideal in the seven years I have had the good fortune of residing here, and it worries me enough to consider leaving.
The noble Fair Go is degrading into its uglier and more common cousin, the I Want What He Got, the fear of missing out. I know people who sold their house for about what they were asking then found their neighbour sold for more. Now they feel they have somehow been done out of $20,000 and brood and complain over it constantly. Not fair they say. People are no longer content with equal opportunity they expect equal results as a right, without effort on their own part. To me it’s lazy, complacent and shows an alarming lack of understanding of one basic truth. Life’s a bitch.
As I said it’s only recently this change has become apparent, roughly the length the current government has been in power – 12 years or so. That same government this very morning confirmed a proposal whereby it now wants to TAX RAIN. Yes, the water which occasionally falls from the sky is now a commodity - apparently owned by the government.
Because of tight water restrictions many city-dwellers own water tanks which collect rain water for use on their gardens, washing the car etc. And most rural properties collect rain water in tanks for domestic use as well as in damns or ponds for livestock and crops. Australia has a high salt table and most well water is not potable. Whether collected in home tanks or in reservoirs to supply the cities, rain is the source of water for Australia. The government already encourages neighbors to turn in neighbors who break water restrictions.
Apparently some bright spark pointed out that some quantity of rain water which would have found its way into reservoirs was being greedily snatched up and kept in tanks by free-loading farmers and assorted other riff-raff. Water that otherwise the government could have sold back to various town councils, who in turn sell it to home-owners in the form of property tax and water rates. Not fair, says the government, these people are effectively stealing water and need to be taxed for it.
I suppose next they’ll tax pedestrians, since by walking, they are doing the government out of potential fuel taxes. Yeah, that’d be fair.
6 comments:
I don't think a government that taxed rain could get re-elected. When's the next election?
but you see Jutra, taxing the rain gives it a value. Suddenly people who do not collect rain water will cry that people who do are getting something for free and they will support the tax just to be punative.
Woody a litre of bottled water from the corner store costs aproximately $5 AUS. A litre of gasoline goes for about $1.20 AUS.
Yes, the whole world has gone mad.
um, unless you are acctually involved in creating the rain you can't tax it
this may mean a lot to the abrigional witch-doctors
You should demand a refund every time you take a piss.
LOL! A refund indeed!
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