Article: Toll touter takes on tax forum

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Toll touter takes on tax forum

Toll touter takes on tax forum
Bridie Jabour
October 4, 2011 - 5:19AM

Touting tolls may not win many friends around the barbecue, but Queenslander Alexander McLaren will be a passionate advocate in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra today.

The University of Queensland student has been selected by the federal government as one of the 150 participants at its tax forum, which starts today.

The policy Mr McLaren is most passionate about would usually raise a collective groan from most audiences, but in Canberra his fellow participants will probably be captivated.
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Mr McLaren is intent on advocating "road congestion charges", or tolls, but says it is a way to get rid of stamp duty on new cars and lower registration fees.

Mr McLaren sees tolls as an effective way of "changing behaviours", so people stop using their cars so much and move to other forms of transport.

"Congested roads would be charged more and less busy roads don't get charged," he said.

"And the funds could be reinvested in to infrastructure, improving roads and public transport. "A levy based on consumption and usage is a more effective method of raising revenue and lessoning the burden on people who don't use it.

"If we had a road congestion charge stamp duty on new cars and rego could be reduced"

Mr McLaren is at the tax forum as a representative of the Left Right think tank, a bipartisan organisation which engages 16 to 24-year-olds in policy debate. As the Queensland policy manager, he has been focused on developing the congestion charge policy since last year.

"I know I am a little green behind the ears to be writing policy but this is a big thing for us," he said.

"The long term tax reform is going to affect my generation more than the current generation.

"I'm prepared to be the youngest but I am not down here with naive concepts."

Mr McLaren is also not naive about the unpopularity of advocating for tolls, but said this could be overcome by a proper information campaign.

"Especially in Brisbane people have had a bad experience with tolls," he said.

"The Clem7 has not gone as planned and there were many fatal flaws in the modelling.

"There is a negative sentiment towards road congestion charges, but it all depends on how we communicate it to people."

The think tank also advocates a reduction in company tax rates to 25 per cent and the increasing of superannuation contributions to 15 per cent.

The tax forum is running today and tomorrow.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/toll-touter-takes-on-tax-forum-20111003-1l53y.html

[Stillwater]

There is no easy way for governments to fund such large infrastructure projects.  Congestion pricing can affect the time of day people will travel on busy roads or presents them with a stark choice -- drive in the peak and pay a fee, or catch a bus / train.  It is interesting that the federal government's chief transport advisor is thinking about congestion pricing.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/tax-forum-push-by-rod-eddington-for-road-levies-to-cut-congestion/story-fnab4up0-1226157616753