[LINK] The PLAN, and broadband speeds?

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Howard Lowndes wrote:
<snip>
> The GST is state money anyway, and they were supposed to cut back on 
> their state taxes - property tax and stamp duty anyone...
>

But what is happening is that the federal government is tying funding to
policies for which they were not elected - such as the teachers 
performance pay.

>>
>> NSW says it is hard done by on a population basis, whereas Qld & WA do
>> quite well, Tasmania doesn't seem to say anything...how are those
>> forests standing up? I am under the impression that Alcohol is a state 
>> tax.
>>
>> The Brisbane City council does a lot more that the Sydney City Council,
> 
> It's also a lot bigger, so size does matter.

I agree, councils need to be viable to deal with the wide range of
issues. OT, it is interesting to note, that in Sydney, it appears that 
Apartment dwellers are subsidising the rest of community when it comes 
to waste and water services.

> 
>> which does more than than the myriad of Sydney metro councils and 
>> probably less than the rural councils...water, for example, falls 
>> under rural councils.
> 
> Rural council have major expenditure on roads which many city councils 
> don't.  Also city councils are static and are not having to find 
> infrastructure development like regional and rural councils.
> 
>>
>> To stray off-topic, and respond to Stewart's suggestion of hospitals 
>> moving to the federal jurisdiction, maybe it would be better if health 
>> care was moved to the states. Then we could have more GP bulk-billing 
>> centres instead of people presenting at hospitals.
> 
> You haven't seen the mess down this way in trying to get the health 
> sphere coordinated across the border.  There's not much that states do 
> right IMO.

I think removing services to the federal level would be even more
problematic.

> 
>>
>> On Education, it was with some surprise that I heard that the NSW 
>> Government provides funds to Catholic schools.
> 
> Not all church schools are well off.
> 
the point was that they are funded federally....that was what the
schools commission used to do.

M
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: 0414 869202