Where do our tax dollars really go?

[boxy]

And housing. It seems to be a fair chunk.

[AnimalMother]

And housing. It seems to be a fair chunk.

I was surprised to see how much of our Defence spending went into housing alone.

[Super Nova]

I had a look at the numbers there is a few things I cannot find and some observations.

Total 376 BN
Employment Services 17Bn - 5%
I assume this is just to pay for the services. Where is the money for the dole. Is this in the states budgets?

Health 54Bn - 14%
Sounds about right.

States 80bn - 21%
They get 1/5th of the moneys. Considering there limit tax raising abiklities seem understandable.

Debt Servicing 12Bn - 3%
Waste, pay off the debt and. So if it is 12Bn at say 5% per year we need to pay off 20 times this ammount so the debt we are servcing is approx 240Bn.... nearly 70% of all Revenue..... for one year. This needs to be addressed. Still better than most countries. I cannot understand why Australia has any government debt to be honest.

Tax Collection 18bn - 5%
Wow, we spend 5% on jsut playing accountant. You know... that's about right compared to a large real company but seems a lot just to collect it.

Families and Children 22bn 6%
Seniors 37bn 10%
Disability Carers 22bn 6%
So a TOTAL 22% is sent to look after people not including health. Man that is alot. So near a 1/4 goes to those that cannot look after themselves.

Unaccounted 57Bn - 15%
Why is this not accounted for. Why was last years actuals not filling in the space for last year. Surely they know now since they are actuals.

Where is the dole and unemployment benefits?

Definitely a welfare state..... I don't see funds going to development that even takes a small chunk.

[mantra]

Unaccounted 57Bn - 15%
Why is this not accounted for. Why was last years actuals not filling in the space for last year. Surely they know now since they are actuals.

Where is the dole and unemployment benefits?

Definitely a welfare state..... I don't see funds going to development that even takes a small chunk.

I noticed that too. Perhaps the creators of the graph didn't have the information. I was also curious to see how much was spent on asylum seekers compared to housing for the homeless - although that might be a state issue.

Manly Council are buying 6 colourful wheelie bins for the homeless to store their stuff which is magnanimous of them, but nothing specific was spent on accommodation for the displaced.

In an unusual plan to protect the possessions of the street dwellers, the council passed a motion to buy six for Manly Community Centre and Fairlight Centre to lend to "rough sleepers".

The bins cost $71 each and are like any 120 litre bin of the kind normally used to collect rubbish.

But Manly Council safety officer Leanne Martin said they would be brightly coloured and branded.

"We are going to buy the bins in bright purple or a lime colour so they don't get mistaken for waste," Ms Martin said.

"It's a way for homeless people to manage their belongings so they are kept secure and out of the way of everybody else during the day."

The manager of Manly Community Centre, Jacqueline Smith, said the centre currently provided cupboards but not enough to cater for the demand. She said opening hours limited the centre's services.

"If you've got swags and blankets, it gets very cold and damp - so we thought it was such a good idea," Ms Smith said.

"We can't get shelter for all these guys, so many don't have anywhere to put their belongings away safely."

[AnimalMother]

To mantra and Super Nova - This website was created for a competition about two weeks ago. It won the prize, but it was put together in less than three days. A lot of information just hasn't been found or entered yet.

However, as far as I know, the creators are working on expanding it and filling in the gaps. I think it's a great idea - and that every government should have one! But I don't think this is a funded project, so it depends on the spare time and commitment of the people who made it.

[Mattus]

It's an utterly fantastic resource. It would be great to see it funded for further development and to ensure the accuracy of the data. If they get any sort of crowd source donation / funding going for it post it here. Seems better use of money than paying tax

[AnimalMother]

Hell, I think it ought to be integrated into the website of every level of government, and every government department - funded out of their respective budgets. Once the basic software has been developed, it will be very cheap to adapt it to other departments.

For a modern democracy, an easily-understandable way for all voters and taxpayers to see exactly where their money is going, is invaluable!

[Super Nova]

To mantra and Super Nova - This website was created for a competition about two weeks ago. It won the prize, but it was put together in less than three days. A lot of information just hasn't been found or entered yet.

However, as far as I know, the creators are working on expanding it and filling in the gaps. I think it's a great idea - and that every government should have one! But I don't think this is a funded project, so it depends on the spare time and commitment of the people who made it.

Didn'r realise that. A great effort.

I agree this should span the data avaoble across gov.

[Neferti]

Good idea but it won't happen. Governments prefer to hide what they spend OUR money on.