Wealth abuse, taxation and religion

in 2015, the nation's top 20% of wealth-holders increased by 28% while, by comparison, the wealth of the bottom 20% increased by just 3%. A person in the top 20% wealth-group has a staggering 70 times as much wealth as a person in the bottom 20%; and the wealthiest 10% own 45% of all wealth. These figures come from ACOSS in their 2015 report, 'Inequality in Australia.'

So, where is the clamour from Christian churches to actually DO something about the ever increasing wealth-gap problem? Where is the voice from those religious bodies that endorsed the ACOSS report - the Salvation Army, Anglicare Australia and St Vincent de Paul?

When will the Church hierarchies ever do more that offer muted and patronising double-speak? When will they openly challenge the federal government to act - through their frequent national media campaigns? Will they ever use all their media connections to influence real change - the very same networks they use to shout down gay marriage, and a raft of contemporary social policy that offends their Christian beliefs?

Where is the church voice calling loudly - not for cuts to education, health and welfare - but for increases in revenue through equitable taxation of the wealthy in negative gearing, on superannuation rorts for the rich, family trusts, and a swathe of tax loopholes for corporations and their mega-rich patrons?

These are all multi-billion revenue streams which could build infrastructure and create 'real' jobs, better opportunities for the chronically under-employed, and genuine training for the army of unemployed youth who need tangible pathways to participate fully in this 12th richest country in the world.

Casual jobs now account for 35% of the workforce, the largest on record, and the majority provide only sufficient hours to allow workers a meager existence. The unemployment rate is close to 13%, including casual workers whose hours fall short of the minimum wage. A true figure is much higher still, when including all unemployed people who have dropped out of the CES system entirely.

To reverse this crisis of casualisation - and the economic insecurity of 'employment by yearly contract' - a government with integrity would open new revenue streams. They are the traditional 'sacred cows' of the wealthy, mentioned above. Without these untapped revenue sources there will be no stabalising of today's wealth inequity, no national infrastructure funds to curb Australia's slide into social and economic decline.

And a Death Tax would be an ideal addition to any plan to finally have the mega-rich make a contribution! It was even suggested last year by Malcolm Turnbull - to re-introduce a scheme abandoned in 1978. It's been long overdue, given that Australia's wealthiest fat-cats are the meanest in the world when it comes to philanthropy, according to the Arton Capital Philanthropy Report of 2015. Or just pay tax! Put simply, tax minimisation is not only anti-social behaviour it's a contrived rort on the low-paid who pay their full share.

Religion's annual $31 billion in tax exemptions is another ancient contrivance that's long overdue for a major overhaul - to have churches finally make a contribution to the nation's coffers. Or do they just stand and watch as governments slash more from hospitals and public schools? While Christianity originally preached the ideal, "render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's", they continue to fight tooth and nail to retain their billion-dollar free ride at the tax-payer's expense. It's unconscionable, in this wholly secular society!

Malcolm Turnbull's government faces a budget crisis in May. Wracked by indecision, they have swept 'off the table' a full gamut of taxation measures to off-set expenditure and the alarming fall in commodities. But all the easy options have been discarded. And it's incontrovertible that a Catholic Turnbull would simply run screaming from the remotest mention of "death and religion" paying its fair share of tax to his government.