Podcast appearances and mentions of mark zirnsak

Mark Zirnsak from the Tax Justice Network talks with Jennifer about the recent federal government budget, handed down just before an election on the 3rd of May.While the budget has some positives such as boosts to Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and fair funding for schools, it doesn't address the fundamental inequity of our tax system. It would take a braver approach to address this, which might provide the required funds for things like an adequate level of social housing and Centrelink benefits that people can actually live on.

Jennifer talks with Mark Zirnsak from the Tax Justice Network Australia about wellbeing budgeting as championed by the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers. They discuss the questions: What is a wellbeing budget?, and To what extent is the latest federal budget a wellbeing budget? Aspects of the budget that come under scrutiny include tax breaks for the wealthy (known as Stage 3 tax cuts), and Centrelink payments that remain way below the poverty level.Overall, there is a danger that genuine efforts to budget for people's needs, while safeguarding planetary health, may be sidetracked by an obsession with measurement rather than the required shift in values.     

Jennifer interviews Mark Zirnsak from the Tax Justice Network Australia, about the federal budget just handed down.     While there are some positives, such as extra refugee visas for Afghan people, and funding for the ATO to target multinationals avoiding tax, in the main it is a regressive budget.     Tax breaks for the wealthy will be continued well into the future, despite some tax offsets for low and middle income earners in the short term.The one-off payment of $250 for people on certain Centrelink payments will do little to help those on JobSeeker and Youth Allowance, who need an additional $483 per week just to survive.   Beyond short term pre-election cash splashes, or even fiscal (low spending) conservatism, budgets need to be aligned with our values and the sort of society and environment we want to work toward.    NB: Mark refers to 'doughnut economics', which we talked about in a previous program:An economy for humans and for the planet (June 2019)We also talked about the problem of economic growth in past programs:Economic growth: when impotent daydreams meet noxious nightmares (August 2019)Exploring de-growth (September 2019)         

The Federal Budget will be delivered next week. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has made it clear that he will not impose austerity measures.  So, if a budget is a values statement – what should that statement then look like? And, what should it  articulate as Australia emerges from the pandemic, knowing the rest of the world remains in crisis mode?

Jennifer interviews Mark Zirnsak from the Tax Justice Network Australia about the federal government's proposal to bring forward tax breaks for the wealthy in the time of the pandemic. Not only would these tax breaks go to the most well-off, according to the experts, they would not stimulate the economic recovery anyway. Moreover, these tax gifts to the high end of town would mean less funding for services and for adequate Centrelink payments.Shane Wright, Jennifer Duke (2020) The Age, 18 September 2020, p.8.Tax cuts for COVID ‘naive’, former Liberal leader John Hewson says in new budget campaign 21 September (together with the Australia Institute https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/09/21/tax-cuts-covid-john-hewson/ Morrison's tax cuts are not temporary or targeted – they are ideological and inequitable Richard Denniss in the Guardian 16/09/2020 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/16/morrisons-tax-cuts-are-not-temporary-or-targeted-they-are-ideological-and-inequitable?utm_term=771ecdfe9ad32660354a1df0d29fca5e&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayAUS&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTAU_email   Thomas Piketty (2020) Capital and Ideology  Harvard University Press

Today on City Limits we speak with Mark Zirnsak,Chair of the Victorian Inter-Church Gambling Taskforce, about problem gambling and the power of poker machines. Kevin asks the question - are poker machines actually fun?And we learn about corruption and integrity in Federal politics, and what can be done to expose corruption and encourage accountability in our politicians, when we speak with Hannah Aulby from The Australia Institute in the second half of the show.

Mark Zirnsak (http://www.taxjustice.org.au) - investigator extraordinaire on tax havens, money laundering and corruption discusses the most recent report to get Karl excited - Doors Wide Open. A wide ranging discussion on the momentum towards transparency in government and business. Show notes - http://www.earthsharing.org.au/1rU

Australians are the biggest gamblers in the world, losing more money per adult on gambling than any other developed country. The average loss for each Australian who gambled was $1,500, according to a government inquiry in 2010. It also found the costs to problem gamblers ranged from $4.7 billion to $8.4 billion, and the number of Australians categorised as “problem gamblers” was around 115,000. Digital technology is making the problem worse, and online gambling is now a booming industry, with offshore outlets circumventing Australian law. Compounding the problem are banks that allow Australians to use their credit cards to fund online gambling activities, meaning people can spend far more money than they can afford, leading to unsustainable debt, financial insecurity and a range of social issues. In this episode of Not for Podcast, special contributor Rachel Alembakis, founder and publisher of The Sustainability Report, follows a group of responsible investors, consumer rights advocates and financial counsellors who are campaigning to get the major banks to cut the credit. Download the transcript here. Members from the group featured in this episode: Zac Gillam, senior policy officer, Consumer Action Law Centre Michael Walsh, CEO, UCA funds management Tim Starke, portfolio manager, UCA funds management Mark Zirnsak, director, justice and international mission, the Uniting Church of Australia's Synod of Victoria and Tasmania Lauren Levin, the director, policy and campaigns, Financial Counselling Australia Produced by Ellie Cooper.

Today's show explores about how budget cuts could be avoided by closing tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy. Interview with Mark Zirnsak from the Uniting Church. Then we discuss the possible expansion of Centrelink's “income management” program with David Tennant, CEO of FamilyCare in Shepparton.