A PROPER tax system encouraging the increase of childbirth rates is Kennedy MP Bob Katter’s preferred method of population growth and an alternative to the Business Council of Australia’s (BCA) push to increase the immigration cap.  

Responding to reports^[1] of the BCA calling for an increase on immigration from 195,000 to 220,000 to deal with the nation’s skills shortage, Mr Katter said the focus should be on bolstering Australia’s own population first.  

“Within the composition of the people coming in, the vast bulk of them are coming from countries with no democracy, no rule of law, no Christianity – look after your fellow man, make the world a better place, no egalitarian traditions and no system of award wages,” Mr Katter said.  

“Now within 15 years if the BCA gets their way, those people will be a majority in this country.”  

He said instead, a tailored tax system which encouraged childbirth would resolve the nation’s slowing and ageing population woes.  

 “Those who are DINKS (Double Income, No Kids), collectively can be earning $200,000 a year. Pay $50,000 in tax, leaving each person on average $75,000 in disposable income.  

“Meanwhile, if you have a stay-at-home parent with three kids and the working parent is on $100,000 paying $25,000 in tax, the disposable income is again $75,000. However, split between five people, that’s $15,000 each.  

“Now the question becomes, do I want to be on an income of $75,000 or $15,000? 

“This is just ridiculous, that income is split over five people and that’s the way the tax should be levied.” 

To address skills shortages, Mr Katter called for greater investment into “real” TAFE institutions, rather than “downgraded” organisations operating with minimal resources, while trying to compete with the attraction of university.  

“Where we had three TAFES, we have none in Kennedy. The only full TAFEs in North Queensland are in Mackay, Townsville, and Cairns.  

“Yet you have universities producing as many lawyers as we have, with as many as we already have practicing in Queensland… it’s a very nasty deceit of our young people telling them they can get a job as lawyer when they have no hope.”  

^[1]Migration increase should be directly tied to population growth, business says | The Australian 

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