INTO THE NEGATIVE
The Coalition are using negative gearing scare tactics to mask the fact their policies are sending our economy into a deflationary mode, making it more difficult for first home buyers.
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Deflation is when prices fall across the economy.
When we take out a 25-year mortgage, the worst years for repayment are the first ones.
The monthly repayments are fixed and if there’s inflation, as time passes prices and salary start to creep up.
The amount of money that you were struggling to get together every month to make your repayment should, over the years become smaller.
It’s quite possible with moderate inflation at the end of a 25-year mortgage the repayments are much smaller as a proportion of your income than it was at the start of your repayments.
When there’s deflation, prices are not rising, they are falling.
With sustained deflation, wages may fall but mortgage repayments stay the same and will become more difficult to find.
It will represent a larger percentage of your income if your income is also falling.
The threat of this happening burdens young people taking out a mortgage during a deflationary period.
Don Kelly, Kanahooka
WHO IS THE REAL THREAT?
Leaflets have appeared in our letterboxes announcing a new political party, Australian Liberty (sic) Alliance, boasting “We will stop the Islamisation of Australia”.
One of the party’s Senate candidates opposes “halal certification organisations imposing Islamic practices on Australians”.
It is odd that she feels so threatened by other people’s choice of diet. Is it a problem that Jewish friends keep Kosher kitchens? Was she wary of Catholic neighbours in the days when they did not eat meat on Friday?
It is people like this who themselves threaten the values of an Australia that once welcomed newcomers.
John Parkinson, Wollongong
ONE PARTY EDUCATED
Why is it that only one party in this election is taking education seriously?
The differences a good education makes to any country in terms of its social capital, long-term future and economic advancement is a “no brainer”.
I have been involved in education nearly all my life, firstly as a public school student from 1957 until 1971, a tertiary education from 1972-75 and then as a secondary school teacher from 1976 until the present day.
I was the first person to be educated past Year 10 from my family.
It certainly changed my life for the better.
I value the special role that education plays in anyone’s life and still enjoy trying to make a difference to young people as a teacher, mentor, coach, role model and friend.
The Gonski reforms gave this country the first real chance to make a difference for every student in obtaining a more inclusive, well-rounded education, in many decades.
If you only voted for a party on one issue alone, then you would have to vote for the Australian Labor Party, as they are the only one taking education of the young people of this great nation seriously in this election.
Richard Ruse, Figtree
POLICIES PLEASE
Okay Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten, we’re having a federal election July 2 and one of the two major parties will define our immediate future for the next three years.
We’re entitled to know what we’re voting for and never in my lifetime has there been time to sum-up unequivocal policy because it’s non-existent till a few days before we go to the polls.
Genuine, honest policy has to be up-front long before an election or by definition it’s not honest or genuine.
Brian Johnson, Gymea
