It’s that time of year again where everyone stocks up on chocolate.
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But how many of us are actually thinking about where that chocolate comes from and who made it?
An estimated 1,817,278 children work as child labourers on cocoa farms. Generally, we don’t think that some of those children who are underpaid and exposed to harsh working conditions are the ones that make our favourite guilty pleasure.
This Easter we can all be charitable through chocolate and help discourage child labour by buying chocolate brands that are marked as Fairtrade. Don’t support child labour just for cheaper chocolate.
Buying chocolate from brands like Cadbury and Aldi can help improve many lives by giving workers a guaranteed fair wage. So, look for the Fairtrade brand when buying chocolate this Easter to help improve the lives of those kids working as child labourers.
Gemma Ritchie, Bendigo
Why pay twice?
Imputation credits are simple and they avoid double taxation.
Say you’re an Australian who owns a company that makes profit. Your company pays tax at say 30% and you receive a dividend. But you have to pay tax right?
If you received a high income and your tax rate was say 45% you would to pay the difference of 15% as your company has paid the first 30% for you. If you didn’t get as much that year your rate might only be 30% and you would have no further tax to pay. If however your tax rate was 15% you would receive the difference as a cash rebate. This principle applies whether you are the only shareholder or one of thousands in the case of a company like BHP. It prevents paying tax twice.
Now - all Australians in paid employment have some money in superannuation right? Super funds pay 15% tax on earnings for accumulation funds and zero on pension funds so they receive a cash benefit from investing in Australian Shares.
Sounds fair? Actually in gets better!
Foreign investors in Australian companies get NO rebate because they don’t pay tax here! How smart are we Aussies?
The problem is, Bill Shorten wants to take away the tax rebates. This will treat low income people, super funds and retirees the same as foreigners! How is this be fair Bill?
Safety comes first
If our mayor Margaret O'Rourke and the council wanted to improve Safety in the CBD they should put back the pedestrian crossing at the corner of Bath Lane and Mitchell St that they took out.
Pedestrians are now crossing illegally which is a huge safety issue for drivers and pedestrians.
Jane Clark, Bendigo
Greater penalty required
Premier Andrews returning or repaying public monies (Parliamentary funds) which have been used for pure political campaigning purposes is not the end of the matter.
If a bank robber returned or offered to return monies he had stolen from a bank, do you seriously think that that would be the end of the matter? I think not.
The robber would be charged and a custodial (prison) sentence would be an odds-on certainty, if the charge were proven, even in this increasingly lawless state.
I, for one, have had a bellyful of political corruption or the abuse of public trust by self-serving politicians. Corruption which would appear to extend to the highest levels.