Most women who face economic abuse do not see it as family violence. However, the Victorian Royal Commission on Family Violence connected the two. Economic abuse has only recently been recognised as part of family violence in Australian law.
The South African retail banking sector is characterised by high barriers to entry. The sector is concentrated, with four of the largest banks – Standard Bank, Absa, First National Bank and Nedbank – accounting for more than 80% of retail deposits.
A long-term plan to cut the company tax rate from 30% to 25% is the centrepiece of the Coalition’s economic plan for jobs and growth. The Coalition maintains the change will boost GDP by more than 1% in the long-term, at a budgetary cost of $48.2 billion over the next 10 years.
Millions of Americans are struggling to pay for college. Nearly 10 million students and their families took out almost US$100 billion in student loans from the federal government in the 2014-15 academic year, pushing outstanding student loan debt to a trillion dollars by the end of 2015.
During his budget speech, Treasurer Scott Morrison said the phrase “jobs and growth” 13 times. It seems he is not a superstitious man. However, Triskaidekaphobes were not the only ones left with a queer feeling after his speech. Students of the history of tax reform experienced a strange sense of déjà vu.
A tax by any other name is still a cost, as Shakespeare might have said. However, of course, the words we use to describe things can amplify or minimise, and some have greater power than others.
Over the last 50 years, African countries have lost about $1 trillion to illicit financial flows. This equates to around $50 billion a year and is equivalent to all the official development assistance received by the continent over the same period.
The four largest banks in South Africa – Absa, First National Bank, Standard Bank and Nedbank – recently announced they would unilaterally close the bank accounts of companies associated with the Gupta family in South Africa.
Yet again, the recent Welsh assembly election campaign was primarily about how best to spend public money. However, recent developments mean devolved elections in Wales will soon focus on how best to raise public money, too.
Imagine if Australia’s economy was as efficient as Silicon Valley is. It is not that absurd an idea and the keys are potentially at the government’s disposal.
