They're protecting the profits of big names who source overseas cheaply and sell here at huge profits. The net effect on jobs of GST on imports will be negligible. The likes of Harney Norman et al are no longer shops, they're landlords. They sell retails space to franchisees. They need footfall. They're not going to get that if we are all on eBay,Amazon,alibaba etc.
It also sells well to the public, because they can make grand claims that they're a government who is concerned with Aussie jobs. Despite the jobless rate increasing since they came to power. It looks good in headlines.
Without want to get too political. All the government will talk about in the lead up to the election is Jobs and Growth, Jobs and growth, jobs and growth, even though they're providing neither. You watch all their stat,mets, they'll try and steer the conversation to that mantra.
That and protecting us from terror are the only things they'll talk about because it's where they feel safest. They get slated on everything else. Read more than the Murdoch press and you'll realise Australia is not under a terror threat. There's no more risk that there was 10years ago. Ask the millions of refugees fleeing ISL in Iraq and Syria, where they'd rather be. Monis in Martin pace was a lunatic, lone person looking to make a statement.
The government make make grand claims about protecting us, with new laws that don't do very much (even howard era security advisors agree), but it sells well with the public, and really they don't have to prove anything, there's nothing tangible they have to prove. Because 'look, there's been no terrorist attacks on our soil, aren't we doing a grand job'? But say they're going to improve educTion, they actually have to prove they have, and can be held accountable.
