'If it's a priority, we can always afford it. Anything less is just an excuse'

“The old saying that tax is the price we pay to live in a civilized society, but it’s not,” said Australia Institute co-chief executive, Richard Denniss.

“Tax, unfortunately, is the price some of us pay to live in a civilized society.”

Dr Denniss was speaking at the Australia Institute’s Revenue Summit at Parliament House. The event is exploring how tax policy can fund essential public services, reduce inequality, and build a fairer economy.

“We have a user pays system when it comes to health and user pay when it comes to all sorts of government services. We give the privilege of living in a civilized society away for free to too many people, and indeed to too many companies.”

Dr Richard Dennis said while ordinary Australians are handing over their hard earned money, there are a multitude of giant companies that don’t pay a cent to do business in the “lucky country”.

“Santos, has not paid company tax for ten years in a row,” he pointed out.

“Australia, one of the richest countries in the world, has one of the worst, most ineffective tax systems in the world.

“We know that around 100 millionaires paid no income tax last year because they spent far more on accountants than they did to support health and education and all the other services that we think we all pay for.”

Dr Denniss said the Australian public is being sold a lie.

“So often we’re told that we can’t address Indigenous disadvantage because we don’t have the money, because we can’t afford to provide the services in remote Australia that we take for granted in the city.

The $368 billion nuclear-submarine AUKUS deal will be in the spotlight as speakers question its cost and consequences.

“When Josh Frydenberg was asked, can we afford it? This is a really important answer, he said: “We can always afford it. If it’s a priority.

“That’s how rich Australia is. When cabinet decided to spend $360 billion on some nuclear submarines that people didn’t know we needed, cabinet decided to do it without a brief from Treasury, and the then-Labor Opposition agreed within 24 hours to support it.”

“We can never allow ourselves to believe that change is not possible.”

Australia’s tax system is centre stage in Canberra today as economists, advocates and policymakers gather for the Revenue Summit and discuss ideas on how to generate more government revenue.

“Unless we can come together, we can work on good reforms, we won’t see Australia become a better country.”