From the place of socialism in modern Australian politics, to 'Record High Taxes', and Police Powers

 

 

 

above:  In the Herald-Sun (4/6/16) Joe Hildebrand laments the decline of  'Third Way Centrism' and the rise of the 'margins' in European (and to his mind probably Australian) politics.  But democracy must mean pluralism and real choices.  In this the real history of socialism and Marxism must be kept in mind. Regardless of the horrors of Stalinism, it is time to reclaim the traditions of the Democratic Left.

 

LETTERS LATE MAY AND EARLY JUNE:    The following are a series of letters written to ‘The Herald-Sun’ and ‘The Age’ over the course of late May and early June 2016.  The issues discussed include the place of socialism, liberalism and Marxism in Australia.  As well as police powers, and whether or not Australia faces ‘record high taxes’.  At the time of posting only one of the letters had been published – in The Age. (though edited for length)

 

(Published) “Waleed Aly (The Age ; 26/6) regrets the marginalisation of political ideologies like socialism and liberalism, and the rise of disengagement, cynicism, right-wing populism.  But Sanders in the US and Corbyn in the UK show that with the distance of time the damage caused to the democratic Left by the example of Stalinist totalitarianism is finally being overcome.  Australia needs progressive leadership – articulating the best of political and social liberalism, and economic socialism.  There is a constituency waiting for the right leadership: articulating ideas of social justice and compassion.  For Labor to articulate a vision based on provision for human need through social insurance, the social wage, social welfare, the democratic mixed economy, as well as labour market regulation and industrial/civil liberties.  Shorten has moved in the right direction with very modest proposals to reform tax. Though his back-down on crucial Aged Care funding suggests Labor is too sensitive to empty claims of ‘over-spending’:  In fact Labor has a record of bipartisanship on ‘small government’.  In fact our taxes are only approximately HALF of Sweden’s’! A new Labor government needs to be more ambitious fully-funding perhaps $40 billion (or 2.5% of GDP) in new progressive commitments without austerity elsewhere.

 

(NOT PUBLISHED)  Democracy must mean a real choice! ; Joe Hilebrand (Herald Sun 4/5/16) laments the decline of ‘Third Way Centrism’ and the rise of the ‘fringes’, with Marxist voices finding a place in the public sphere.  A few points, though. First, a true democracy finds itself in pluralism.  That is: if voters do not have real choices on the democratic Left and on the democratic Right then the meaning of those choices is diminished. Secondly, fear of ‘Marxism’ in Australia ought not be overstated.  Labor has moved marginally Left of Centre – but only marginally.  Its reform agenda is modest.  Finally, we could do to remember that while Marxism was crudely distorted under totalitarian Stalinism, that it nonetheless began as a democratic movement. Indeed it was one of the first social movements to propose free, universal and equal suffrage (ie: votes for all adult men and women) from the late 1840s and into the early 20^th Century.  Those who remain true to Marxism’s democratic roots would seek “a democratic road to socialism”, with an important place for parliamentary democracy.  As such today’s democratic Left – partly inspired by Marxist traditions – is one of the real, substantial choices Australians should enjoy, informed by a vision of social and economic equality and democracy.  

(NOT PUBLISHED)  (late May 2106)  The Herald-Sun has been depicting Labor as ‘irresponsible big spenders.’ But taxes have hovered around 25% of GDP across BOTH Labor and Liberal governments for many years now. In fact both Labor and Liberal have maintained a regime of ‘small government’, and any Australian government would need to double spending by approximately $400 BILLION a year to reach Swedish levels of expenditure! (ie:  at approx. 50% of GDP)  In fact, if we want to INVEST in education, health, aged care, transport and communications infrastructure, then we need more progressive tax and higher spending. The alternative is that our services and infrastructure will decay. People will suffer ; and so will the economy.  To provide a sense of proportion: Labor’s proposed changes to Capital Gains Tax and Negative Gearing will save only $7 billion a year.  But Malcolm Turnbull’s approach of cutting Company Tax by $50 billion over ten years cannot but result in a massive hit to Education and Health, services and infrastructure.  At the same time it could make any return to surplus impossible.  (once the tax cut reaches its full amount it will cost the Budget more over time)

 

(NOT PUBLISHED)  (Late May 2016)  The Herald-Sun AGAIN publishes information to the effect that cuts must be made “to avoid record high taxes”. (HS 28/5, p 9)  What the Herald-Sun does NOT publicise is the fact that for decades there has been bipartisan commitment from the ALP and Liberals to holding taxes down as a proportion of GDP.  Both ALP and the Liberals have kept taxes down so far that we are one of the lowest taxing countries in the OECD.  We would need to raise spending by $400 BILLION/year to match Sweden for example!  Instead Shorten is proposing modest Capital Gains Tax and Negative Gearing changes that will bring in only $7 billion annually.  The idea of ‘record high taxes’ appears ludicrous in light of all this! 

But without higher levels of fair taxation we will ALL pay more through user pays. User pays for roads. The end of bulk billing and Medicare.   $30,000 a year to send your kids to private schools because the public system is neglected.  Working class people forced to sell the family home to access an aged care system which is grossly under-resourced and understaffed.  This is the price we will all pay for lower taxes!

(nb: DEAR Editor - You keep publishing information to the effect we are faced with the prospect of 'record high taxes' ;  This verges on misinformation when put in context.  It is only reasonable during an election campaign to give significant space to 'the other side of the story'. Not just my own critique ; But a wide range of respectable opinion which would question the notion we are 'heavily over-taxed' ; or that Labor is 'high taxing and high spending' when compared with other governments ; or even with the  Liberal Party itself)

(NOT PUBLISHED)  A Sense of proportion on Company Tax

(Herald-Sun Early June)   In his letter John Morrissey argues  that Australia’s Company Tax regime is “uncompetitive”.   Yet the United States’ Federal rate of Company Tax is 35% ; and in some states goes higher than 39%.  The problem with lower Company Tax is that there isn’t the money left over for infrastructure and education. (that is, without ‘corporate welfare’. ie: workers/taxpayers ‘picking up the tab’ for the services and infrastructure corporations use)  Our Company Tax regime is not ‘uncompetitive’ when compared with the United States itself, and top quality infrastructure and a skilled workforce (paid for by tax!) will attract more of the right kind of investment. Australia also has one of the lowest overall levels of tax in the OECD – at approx. 25% - compared with 50% in Sweden.  To get a sense of proportion: Shorten’s $7 billion of tax reforms re: Negative Gearing and Capital Gains Tax Concessions accounts for less than half a percent of GDP.   A massive $400 billion would be necessary to match Sweden and provide a Nordic-style Welfare State. So keep a sense of proportion when talking about tax in Australia   (source:  Wikipedia)

(NOT PUBLISHED)   Police Powers

The Herald-Sun has been running hard on the issue of Police “move on” powers, and has given voice to those within the force who want a return of those powers.  A couple of points.  Firstly, the role of the Police is to enforce the laws of the day rather than to lobby the government of the day.  The police as such should not be politicised like that against civil liberties which many of us cherish as part of our liberal society.  Secondly, our civil liberties are too valuable to sacrifice in response to the actions of a couple of dozen of people – perhaps including provocateurs.  There are already laws dealing with those who engage in violent behaviour.  But we should be wary of the ‘heavy hand’ where it restricts rights of assembly, association and speech – or even civil disobedience.  Neither should civil liberties be curtailed because they are an ‘inconvenience’ to some.  This is the SUBSTANCE of the liberties and rights we are regularly reminded that our men and women fought for in WWII.  Rights and liberties should not be sacrificed for a headline.

Mental Health, Poverty and Life Expectancy – A decades-long Crisis which finally Demands our Attention

 

above: Stigma is a major problem with mental illness ; But arguably there is another neglected crisis - mental health related life expectancy - which results in hundreds of thousands dying decades before their time...

Tristan Ewins

 

Last week was ‘Mental Health Week’ in Australia. Importantly this has drawn attention to related issues such as poverty, stigma and a decades-long crisis in mental-health-related life expectancy.

 

 

 According to a study from The University of Queensland and The University of Western Australia mentally ill Australians are on average dying 16 years earlier than the general population. This would include sufferers of Depression, Bipolar, and Anxiety. The study noted that the vast majority of cases of early death actually related to “physical causes such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, rather than from suicide or accidents.” Medication can certainly play a role in promoting obesity – which as noted can lead to heart disease, but also diabetes.

 

Also despite this, recent research has established that suicide claims approximately 2,500 lives a year. Proportionately the most likely to commit suicide were elderly men.

 

What is more, regarding mental health related life expectancy, “the gap is growing”. And the figure for sufferers of Schizophrenia – which is estimated to be a minimum of 200,000 Australians (some say closer to 300,000) – is 25 years. That is, those with Schizophrenia in Australia die on average 25 years earlier than the general population.

 

Also according to the UQ/UWA study this result was worse than that experienced by smokers, and comparable to that suffered by indigenous Australians. Indeed, research on Indigenous Australian life expectancy revealed a gap of around 10.6 years. The figure for indigenous Australia is of the highest concern and demands a significant commitment of resources. But the comparison begs the question why mental health related life expectancy does not attract the same relative amount of attention given the numbers, and given the dire plight of those involved. Indeed, both indigenous and mental health related life-expectancy warrant a very significantly increased amount of resources.

 

Furthermore the statistics on mental health related life expectancy have not improved in 30 years revealing gross negligence by governments of all stripes.

 

In early 2014 Ryan Bachelor of the Chifley Research Centre condemned apparent moves by the Abbott Government to vilify and scapegoat disability pensioners. This approach was reinforced by a disgraceful campaign by Australia’s Murdoch tabloid press. Bachelor also emphasized that while the figures for the Disability Support Pension (DSP) were high (approximately 800,000 people), more recently these figures were slowly declining. The cost to the Budget was approximately $15 billion in a $1.6 Trillion economy. And the proportion of Disability Pensioners with a psychosocial disorder was 31 per cent.

 

Considering life expectancy statistics, no – sufferers of mental illness are not ‘having us on’ when it comes to the Disability Support Pension. As Frank Quinlan of the Mental Health Council of Australia argued in 2014, many amongst the mentally ill want to work – but cannot do so on account of discrimination. And they are also deterred because of severe means testing of their pensions. As Quinlan explained elsewhere:

 

 

 

“The reality of the experience of severe and persistent mental illness is that it can have a profoundly disabling impact on day-to-day living and social functioning, leaving some Australians requiring ongoing financial assistance despite their eagerness to work independently."

 

 

 

It may not be so popular to draw on Karl Marx in this day and age. ‘Marxism’ as such has been so distorted by those who claimed to act in his name that many would not give his ideas a second thought. But Marx’s maxim: “From each according to ability, to each according to need” should seem an eminently reasonable basis on which to fairly organize an economy and a society. And it is a perfectly reasonable basis on which to organize pensions, and the social wage and welfare system more broadly. This should mean an end to severe means testing, more positive incentives to find flexible work (rather than ‘punitive welfare’), emphasis on fighting mental health related discrimination, and positive incentives for employers to provide suitable flexible employment.

 

Specifically, Disability Pensioners have trouble maintaining any kind of social existence; not only because of illness, but also due to poverty. Poverty means it is often difficult or even impossible to run a car, for instance. This impacts on ability to even search for suitable work. There’s the option of public transport ; but that is not always available. This can also make it difficult to keep friends, or to find friends in the first place. Poverty also makes fitness a more difficult prospect. Again, ill health, obesity etc can contribute significantly to early death, while the mentally Ill need to work so much harder to maintain health and fitness due to the side-effects of medication. Due to poverty Gym memberships are generally out of the question. And health costs can also be prohibitive. Consider Dental and Optical just to start. This affects all pensioners, but the disabled are likely to be dependent long term with no way out.

 

 

 

Also many experiencing mental illness are stuck in substandard and insecure accommodation. Further, not all the mentally ill have support from Carers, and many ‘fall through the cracks’ into homelessness. A 2002 report had also noted:

 

 

“many people with mental illness are unable to afford stable housing or make their own housing choices, and frequently have problems accessing appropriate housing and difficulty maintaining tenancies because of disruptions caused by their illness.”

 

 

 

  New Turnbull Government Health Minister Susan Ley says there are “no easy fixes” and that the system must “[catch] people before they fall.” (“The Age”, 5/10/15) This implies some insight as to what people actually go through. Though while early intervention is crucial in preventing such suffering few can really conceive of, healing for the afflicted is just as necessary. Expecting people to just “pull themselves together” demonstrates an appalling lack of empathy, understanding and humanity. So if Minister Ley is serious she must decisively reject the disgraceful stigmatization and vilification of Disability Pensioners conducted by the Murdoch Press, and by some elements in her own party. 

 

 

 

We are yet to see whether or not there will be a decisive change of direction under the new Turnbull leadership. Resolve to achieve the following will comprise the degree to which we can judge the extent to which the Turnbull Government is meaningfully addressing the crisis:

 

 

•  Increase the Disability Support Pension by at least $35/week indexed. To begin, this might make it possible to run a vehicle and to eat better quality food ; Improve support for Carers as well

• Implement anti-discrimination legislation and provide positive incentives for employers to offer flexible work

• Provide much more generous means-testing of Disability Pensioners – especially the mentally ill, slowing the rate at which the Pension is withdrawn ; and make it easy for those affected to immediately re-access the pension even if they had found full-time work – but relapsed into illness       

• Provide comprehensive Medicare Dental and Optical – ideally on a universal basis – but if this is not possible under the current government, then at least offer it to those in poverty, including those on welfare

       

• Provide access to ‘physical health case managers’ – who assist in improving the physical health of the mentally ill – a dimension which is commonly neglected by mental health professionals

• Provide funding so the mentally ill can actually act on such advice: subsidised access to health and fitness facilities, gear and services.

• Condemn any stigmatisation or vilification of the mentally ill in the media, including the Murdoch tabloids       

• Subsidise internet access to help maintain social-connectedness       

• Promote social-connectedness for inpatients as well by enabling access to internet and social media where viable

• Increase social expenditure on mental health to make it reflect its proportion of “the country’s health burden”; ie: raise it from 7 per cent to 14 per cent of the Health Budget ; but achieve this by increasing the investment; and not through cuts elsewhere

• Finally follow through on the demand by ‘Australians for Mental Health’: for “improved access to mental health services, clear pathways for treatment and support, more early intervention and prevention services, and service integration”

 

Again the mentally ill are not ‘having us on’ when some of them can expect to die on average 25 years earlier than the general population. We have to hope that the new Turnbull Government will mark a shift in attitude. But what is actually necessary is an increase in funding for programs assisting the mentally ill. (as considered in the dot points above) We must judge all the political parties and independents on the basis of action and not just words.