Could the Greens be the sensible choice?

The PM's other recent pronouncement regarding state income taxes at first seemed to be a way of filling in time before the Senate rejects the IR bills, we had a budget and went to full election mode. It is the sort of nonsense that Bob Carr used to float in NSW to cover over some problem for the government.

Then it seemed Turnbull was serious. Then he dropped it. There was some sensible media explanation of why the idea was silly but as far as I could tell one major point was missed. The big driver of State expenditure growth is population growth. The States are victims of Commonwealth immigration policy. (As Bob Carr to his credit has long pointed out.) If Turnbull wants States to cut spending he should stop importing people at such very high rates. The states have to build the schools, roads, railways, new suburbs, hospitals etc., for around one million extra people every three years. Maybe he should give the states power over immigration policy rather than income tax.

There is a pattern clearly developed here. Efficiency, budget emergencies, savings, and all the other justifications for cutting funding only apply to funds going to the least wealthy half of the population. The top 30%, which includes the media leaders, senior public servants and think tank 'experts', don't receive 'handouts'. They get 'incentives' to join private sector schemes that supposedly benefit everyone. No business plans, or serious analysis needed here, and all contrary evidence is ignored.

Given that the ALP spivs are safely aboard the gravy train they will not be exerting themselves to derail it. Peter Walsh, the best Finance Minister we ever had, would be horrified.

The Greens have made a serious start and look likely to become the most effective representatives of ordinary Australians. They will get no help from the media. The ABC lovies would rather prattle righteously on about refugees or the evils of big business.

But social media is now a potent force, particularly among the young. As the people who have been ripped off mercilessly by the older generations, and with potentially much worse to come, when they decide to act it could be rapid and a huge shock to everyone. Richard Di Natale could yet prove to the Liberal ideologists and Labor cynics that good policy is good politics.