The Liberals gave us robo-debt. A mindless and crushing blow on Australia's most vulnerable. Based on accounting error 101, robo-debt used income averaging from different time periods to create imaginary welfare debts; impacting the lives of many thousands of honest Australians. Some were so badly hurt by this experience they committed suicide.

Labor also had some unpleasantness planned for us. Their intention to retain imputation credits paid is a demonstration of how little they know about taxation in this country. Income earners with a marginal rate of 30% or above would be entirely unaffected.

If however your marginal tax rate is less than $19,000 per year, you would be paying 30% tax when you should not be taxed at all. How does this fit with Labor's claimed policy of protecting low income people and families?

This policy was also complicated because it affected income and superannuation differently. Where super is concerned there was a case for retaining imputation credits as it would help to level the "playing field" between self-managed funds (SMFs) and group funds; which most Australians have.

But Labor failed to understand this and consequently was unable to sell it to the their voters. We dodged a bullet with that catastrophic policy failure. Could policy makers on both sides please try to understand what affect your policies will have on the average Australian, before you inflict them onto us?

Other news

As a 10 year old, the 1988 Bicentennial instilled in me a deep sense of nationalism that remains deeply ingrained today.

Yet as we approach Australia Day, I find myself more challenged by the day selected as our National Day.

There is no better time than now for us to question what the date of January 26 truly means to us as Australians.

Yes, Australia would not be what it is today had the First Fleet not landed in Port Jackson on January, 26, 1788.

It is a day I view as a significant milestone in our land's long history rather than the forming of a nation.

And at this point, some readers may even find themselves asking: Why do many of us feel annoyed when we hear the day referred to as Invasion or Survival Day?

Most of us dismiss it by claiming it as the day we celebrate all things Australian.

If that is true, why does a date matter?

More disturbingly I also hear others somewhat thoughtlessly murmur the phrase 'get over it', without taking a moment to reflect on the differing views concerning the origins of our national day, let alone respecting that perspective.

Perhaps it is us, those who are wedded to January 26 as our national day, who could heed our own advice and 'get over it'.

Australia deserves a day to celebrate.

Let's find one that reconciles and truly defines a nation through the unity of its people.

The Centre for Public Integrity has revealed that in the last two decades the resource industry has donated more than $136 million to political parties and related activities.

This expenditure has gone directly to the major parties, lobby groups and advertising. Clive Palmer through his companies has outspent everyone else to support his own business interests.

The most recent political donations will be published by the Australian Electoral Office on February 1.

Meanwhile the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters of the Australian Parliament, which examines matters relating to electoral laws and practices, particularly transparency in dealing with political donations, is accepting submissions until January 29.

If you think there should be more accountability and transparency on the actions of special interests such as the fossil fuel industry and Clive Palmer now would be a good time to say so.

See the Australian Parliament website to make a submission.

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