Originally Posted by Ab

But it's not even a conservative Christian government. The thing about theocracies is at least they have principles. This government is just plain corrupt. It's about paying off its backers, nothing else.

A CONSERVATIVE government would be in favour of, say, marriage equality. Because marriage holds families together and the family is the fundamental unit of conservative social policy. The more people getting married the better, a conservative should say.

A CHRISTIAN government would be in favour of accepting refugees from wars, because that's what Jebus would do. Show those refugees some charity, a Christian would say.

A quote-unquote NEOLIBERAL government would be in favour of, say, renewable energy projects because there's a possibility of making shitloads of money out of it. Or in favour of Internet infrastructure because bitchinfast Internet means innovation and startups and new tech shit we haven't even thought of and there's a possibility of making shitloads of money out of it. Let's get fucking rich before some other fucker somewhere else does, a neoliberal would say.

The Abbott Government is saying none of those things and is in favour of none of those things. It's fucking over families, so it can't be conservative; it's running fucking concentration camps, so it can't be Christian; it's stomping all over tech development and the jobs and money and market domination that could result, so it can't be quote-unquote neoliberal.

Sure is bending over backwards for mining companies and traditional media companies though. If you want to dig up some coal or print some newspapers, the Abbott government will accept your paper bag without question.

Originally Posted by Ab

Aussie treasurer just announced 10% GST will be applied to all online purchases from offshore sellers.

*popcorn*

Originally Posted by stuff

Key said GST on the importation of goods was "a more complicated nut to crack" and he did not think the exemption would disappear - an option being discussed in Australia which currently has a very high exemption set at $A1000 but where a new level of $A20 or even zero has been floated.

He said he would be surprised if the NZ GST exemption dropped to zero.

He expected a relatively quick move on services, perhaps before Christmas, but GST on the purchase of goods overseas was more challenging and would take longer to put in place.
If the Government set the exemption at zero everything would get held up at the border.

"That's a massive inconvenience to consumers. There's got to be an easier way through. I think there is an easier way through we just have to work our way through it."

Originally Posted by CCS

My understanding is that NZ is only doing it on digital goods, eg Netflix, itunes presumably ebooks.

Originally Posted by Spoon1

Ah, yes, true.

And I see the Aussie version is both Goods and Services, so they must have arranged some deals already or something...

Originally Posted by CCS

My understanding is that NZ is only doing it on digital goods, eg Netflix, itunes presumably ebooks.

Originally Posted by pxpx

I've never had a package come in over the current threshold, how does it work at the moment?

Originally Posted by verve_rat

I really don't get any of this. If the IRD goes to a foreign company and says: "Can we have some GST please" and the company says "No", then what? In which court does the IRD take action? The foreign company is not subject to our laws, that is part of being foreign.

Originally Posted by verve_rat

And even if Amazon and Netflix add GST, the three man outfit from Finland isn't event going to know NZ wants this tax. Why should GST be added to the services of only the companies big enough for the IRD to notice.

Originally Posted by blynk

Well I guess worse case, the government could just say "Sorry, you cant sell and deliver to Australians"
For large companies, it would not be that hard to implement this

Originally Posted by blynk

I think it would be pretty easy for a government to block a site from sale in Australia.
Or even if they can't then there would have to be a law to take a company to court for not paying GST

Originally Posted by madmaxii

The fact that it was even considered shows to me that Australia's current government is fucked.

Originally Posted by Ab

Looks like the Liberals are gonna have a bit of bloodletting this afternoon.

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Tony has done you Aussies a solid. Now he can hold all the blame, rather than those bought up his bullshit and voted him into power. He is a fuckwit's fuckwit, and all you fuckwits loved him.