Opinion: All Griffith residents should be eligible for a tax refund

We say, far more deserving of a tax refund are the thousands of people in regional NSW repeatedly dudded by a government who often seem unaware human life exists west of the blue mountains.  

In November, the NSW government did what no government should resort to doing. They put up the price of beer. And all other bottled drinks.

The trade-off was supposed to start in December, when we were to get 10 cents for each bottle we recycled. 

But while the government looked after Sydney – where they set up 188 recycling collection points – Griffith is still waiting for a single one.

It gets worse. For a decade, Griffith has been begging politicians to upgrade our depleted public hospital.

This year, when it appeared they might lose a seat, they finally promised some hospitals funds – $35 million, a tiny fraction of what’s needed to bring our health care up to Sydney standard. 

The NSW government spun us the line that they can’t commit any more until they plan, and scope.

Yet they had no problems immediately pledging the full cost of knocking down and rebuilding two Sydney stadiums – $2.3 billion of your money for the benefit of millionaire sportstars and corporate sponsors. 

And here’s the rub – while the service provision arm of governments forget we exist, the tax and revenue collecting arm never do.

It may surprise politicians to learn that Griffith residents pay the same rate of income tax as those in Sydney. We pay the same rate of GST. We also pay the same rate of stamp duty – which provides a big chunk of the government’s fat $12 billion surplus. 

And even when we save our money, the federal government sticks its hand into our bank accounts and takes the same percentage of the minuscule interest we earn as it takes from Sydneysiders. 

If we have to pay to travel to bigger cities for decent healthcare, for university, and even to deposit our empty bottles, then why do we have to pay as much tax as urbanites?

Griffith deserve more services and better infrastructure now. If we don’t get it, the next time we go to Sydney for medical treatment, we should also stop off at the state revenue office to demand a refund.