The single most important challenge facing Australia in 2015 is that in this country corporate interests always take precedence over public interests. In an era when News Corporation and 21st Century Fox dominate the media landscape to such an extent that they have become the de facto parliamentary puppet masters, it is important Australians understand the damage that is being caused to every person in Australia by the boardrooms of unaccountable corporations whose primary responsibility is to their major shareholders.
In an era of "leaners" and "lifters", it is critical Australians understand who the real leaners are. The Murdoch owned media plays a pivotal role in determining community perceptions in Australia. The corporate owned media and, to a lesser degree, the government gelded ABC are responsible for creating the perception "dole bludgers", "disability support slackers", "single parents" and the elderly who rely on government pensions to survive are the leaners in our society.
The Abbott led government in conjunction with the Murdoch owned media have criminalised dissent, made withdrawing a worker's labour outside a designated workplace bargaining agreement period a criminal offence and have done everything possible to poison the public's perception of the positive role trade unions and trade unionists play in the life of so many Australians.
The reality is somewhat different. Nearly 70% of all tax revenue comes from pay as you earn taxpayers. A significant proportion of the company tax collected comes from Australia's one million small businesses. Corporate Australia pays less than 5% of the tax that is collected in this country.
The leader of the pack of these 24 CARAT LEANERS are Murdoch's companies – News Corporation and 21st Century Fox. News Corporation received an 882 million dollar tax refund in 2013 while making billions of dollars of profit. 21st Century Fox pays less than 1% tax. Google and Apple pay less tax than a single wage earner earning $150,000 a year. IKEA pays less than 3% tax, while the DEXUS Property Group, one of Australia's major commercial property owners, pays less than 5% tax on its profits. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Corporate Australia, not Australians on social security payments, pay as you earn taxpayers or small businesses, are the 24 carat leaners in this country. The tragedy is what they are doing is TOTALLY LEGAL. They have become so powerful, they have become the parliamentary king makers. The major political parties have become so frightened of the political power the Murdoch's of the world can exercise because of their ownership of the means of production, distribution, exchange and communication, they will never introduce legislation into parliament to ensure the corporate leaners pay their fair share of tax.
Our inability as a nation to fund public health, public education, public infrastructure, public housing and provide a social security net that is able to adequately protect those who cannot look after themselves, is directly related to the fact the richest Australians legally pay voluntary taxation in this country. When 8 Australians own 40% of the wealth in this country and 11 million Australians (40%) own 1% of the wealth, you know there is something seriously wrong in Australia.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
At midday on the first Friday of the month the Resist Murdoch's Minions Legislative Onslaught group in Melbourne gathers outside Murdoch's officers – The Herald and Weekly Times Building at 40 City Rd. Melbourne to bear witness to these unpalatable truths. Despite numerous efforts by the DEXUS Property Group in 2014 to move us off what they claim is private property (they own and lease the buildings to News Corporation), we have continued to make our point despite the presence of private security guards and Victoria Police. We will be gathering outside the Murdoch building in Melbourne until Murdoch GIVES BACK THE 882 MILLION DOLLARS TAX REFUND (plus 10% interest) he received in 2013
When governments stop acting in the interests of the people they represent, people need to act. We encourage you to JOIN US at midday on the first Friday of the month on the quadrangle outside The Herald & Weekly Times (HWT) building 40 City Rd. Southbank, Melbourne
If you live outside Melbourne, we encourage you to organise a similar campaign outside your local News Corporation/21 Century Fox office. If you can't join us or organise a similar campaign, we encourage you to look at our website to examine the 15 pages of assets owned by Murdoch and decide whether you want to continue to support these 24 carat leaners with your hard earned money.