Australian Libertarian Society

New Zealanders should migrate to Australia

TerjeP (say tay-a) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:20:54 +0000

New Zealanders of average incomes should migrate to Australia. Okay this is a somewhat provocative statement but vast numbers of Kiwis make this exact decision. And why not? Not only will they typically enjoy higher incomes in Australia they will also pay less income tax. Even if they earn exactly the same equivalent income as what they earned in New Zealand they will find that Australia has a much less onerous income tax system. How much less onerous? Lets have a look.

The three tables below do an income tax comparison. For simplicity we can ignored the medicare levy in Australia and the ACC levy in New Zealand as they both modest and roughly the same.

The first and last table show the Australian and New Zealand tax rates respectively. The middle table is the Australian tax rates in New Zealand equivalent currency. The tables assume that an income of NZ$1 in New Zealand is equivalent to A$0.80 in Australia.

The chart below shows in New Zealand dollars the tax taken for various incomes under the two alternate income tax codes. Clearly the Australian income tax code is far more favourable for people of modest income.

The comparison is for tax rates in the 2012/13 financial year. If the New Zealand government wants New Zealand citizens to stay in New Zealand then it ought to reduce the tax rates at the lower end of the income range.

Friedman dinner with Tom Palmer (Friday 12 April)

John Humphreys — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:53:40 +0000

After the ALS Friedman conference in Sydney, Tom Palmer is going to be doing a lightning tour of Australia speaking in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane.

In Brisbane, Tom has agreed to speak at a Friedman dinner, which we are going to hold at 7pm on Friday the 12th of April back at Elio’s restaurant in Carina. I know it’s a bit out of the way for the north-side people, but the owner has always treated us well and I think the food is great. The price is $35 for all you can eat and an evening with Tom Palmer and a few dozen of Brisbane’s best & brightest freedom lovers.

When — 7pm, Friday 12 April
Where — Elio’s restaurant, 119 Winstanley St, Carina
Who — Tom Palmer & a few dozen freedom lovers
Why — to hear one of America’s best liberty advocates & have fun
Cost — $35 each for all you can eat & think

Please RSVP to John Humphreys either by e-mailing john.humphreys99@gmail.com or calling/texting 0404 044561 or messaging through facebook. Space is limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible to ensure you’re spot. The facebook event page is: https://www.facebook.com/events/585452104817059/

About the speaker

Tom Palmer is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington D.C. and is the Executive Vice President at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. Tom has travelled the world promoting free markets and liberty for decades, including smuggling books by authors like Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek into the Soviet Union in the 1980s and 1990s. Palmer is the author of many of his own books and his most recent, After the Welfare State, is being distributed around the world through student groups. He has a PhD from Oxford University in political science.

Before joining Cato he was an H. B. Earhart Fellow at Hertford College, Oxford University, and a vice president of the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. He frequently lectures in North America, Europe, Eurasia, Africa, Latin America, India, China and throughout Asia, and the Middle East on political science, public choice, civil society, and the moral, legal, and historical foundations of individual rights.

He has published reviews and articles on politics and morality in scholarly journals such as the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Ethics, Critical Review, and Constitutional Political Economy, as well as in publications such as Slate, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Die Welt, Caixing, Al Hayat, the Washington Post, and The Spectator of London. He is the author of Realizing Freedom: Libertarian Theory, History, and Practice, published in 2009, and the editor of The Morality of Capitalism, published in 2011.

Tom Palmer was also one of the original plaintiffs in Parker v. District of Columbia, which enshrined the right of DC Residents to own a handgun in their home.

New website for the JPPF

Sukrit Sabhlok — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:33:04 +0000

I’d like to point out that the Journal of Peace, Prosperity & Freedom – a premier forum for libertarian ideas – has a new website and facebook page. Do check it out and sign up to the mailing list to stay up-to-date!

Libertarian conference schedule

John Humphreys — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:06:53 +0000

ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE HERE

EVENT DETAILS AVAILABLE HERE

SPEAKERS DETAILS AVAILABLE HERE

Australian Libertarian Society, in partnership with the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, the Institute for Public Affairs, and the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation, are proud to announce the draft schedule for our first libertarian conference, hosted at the Sydney City RSL on 6/7 April 2013.

Saturday 6 April

8:30am: Registration

9:00am: The Moral & Historical Case for Freedom, Dr. Tom Palmer

9:40am: Break

9:50am: Why voting doesn’t work, Dr Eric Crampton

10:30am: Morning Tea

11:00am: The Nanny State – Panel Discussion with Dr Eric Crampton, Cass Wilkinson, James Morrow, Dr Michael Keane & Tim Wilson

12:30: Lunch

1:30: Libertarians in Politics – Panel Discussion with The Hon Dr Peter Phelps (LIB), Cass Wilkinson (ALP), Cr Clinton Mead (LDP), and David Russell AM QC.

3:00: Afternoon Tea

3:30 Rethinking Externalities, Professor Sinclair Davidson

4:10 Break

4:20: How big government helps big business, Dr Charles Richardson

5:00pm: CLOSE

7:30pm: Dinner at Bar Luca with Keynote Speaker Dr Tom Palmer

Sunday 7 April

9:00am: Free Speech, Chris Berg

9:40am: Break

9:50am: Free Banking, Dr Ben O’Neill

10:30am: Morning Tea

11:00am: Practical Policy Idea – Speakers include Adam Creighton, the Hon Dr Gary Johns, Jennifer Buckingham, Dr Stephen Kirchner & Terje Petersen.

12:30: Lunch

1:30: Radical Policy Ideas – Speakers include Dr Jeremy Shearmur, Brad Taylor, Sukrit Sahblok, Dr Michael Keane & Mark Hornshaw

3:00: Afternoon Tea

3:30 The Myth of Market Failure in New Technology, Science, Innovation Professor Jason Potts

4:10 Break

4:20: Civil Society, Dr. Tom Palmer

5:00pm: CLOSE

Australian libertarian conference

John Humphreys — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:02:49 +0000

ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE HERE

Come and join us at the Sydney City RSL for the 1st Australian Libertarian Conference on the 6th and 7th of April– listen to some of the best and brightest national and international speakers, meet other libertarians, and enjoy a fun-filled weekend of learning, friendship and the inevitable arguing that comes from putting more than one libertarian in a room at the same time.

Special guest speaker is Dr Tom Palmer from the Atlas Network and Cato Institute in the USA.

Other guest speakers include Cassandra Wilkinson, Prof Sinclair Davidson, Dr Eric Crampton, Adam Creighton, A/Prof Jason Potts, Dr Ben O’Neil, The Hon Dr Peter Phelps MLC, Dr Michael Keane, Bob Day AO, Chris Berg, Tim Wilson, Tim Andrews, Cr Clinton Mead, Jennifer Buckingham, and many more.

The conference is being run by the Australian Libertarian Society (ALS), and is being co-sponsored by the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance (ATA), the Institute for Public Affairs (IPA) and Mannkal Economic Education Foundation.

Pricing & registration

For two days of exciting speakers and good debate, and a two-course Saturday dinner at Bar Luca, the early bird price is only $100 for adults and $70 for students. Day sessions include tea/coffee, but you will need to arrange for your own lunch. The dinner will include a presentation by Tom Palmer, who is scheduled to talk about libertarianism in the Middle East and around the developing world. Prices will increase closer to the event, but for the moment, the pricing schedule is below:

Adults:

Saturday sessions: $40
Sunday sessions: $40
Saturday dinner: $40
Package deal: $100

Students:

Saturday sessions: $30
Sunday sessions: $30
Saturday dinner: $30
Package deal: $70

You can register and pay either by cheque, direct debit, or online credit card payment. If you pay by cheque or direct debit, please make sure to also e-mail your details to Tim Andrews (tandrews@taxpayers.org.au) at the same time so we can record your payment and ensure you are properly registered. Also, if you think you have a good reason why you should be given a discounted price, please e-mail john.humphreys99@gmail.com and we will consider on a case by case basis.

* For online registration and payment, please visit our sister site hosted by the Australian Taxpayers Alliance.

* Cheques can be made payable to “Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance” and mailed to PO Box A2208, South Sydney, NSW, 1235.

* Direct debit can be sent to “Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance” (BSB 012-019, Account 1844-52668).

How to Rule: A Statist’s Guide

Guest — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 04:08:27 +0000

A guest post from Austen Erickson:

Congratulations on obtaining your new country! Whether you were elected by a majority of citizens who could be bothered to vote, appointed by the previous (and outgoing) party elite, or you have just staged a military coup, be assured that you have not only the power to rule – but the right to do so! The people – your people – have implicitly agreed to a social contract listing you as the ultimate authority, so be confident in your reign!

However, ruling a country is a difficult task; radical, anti-social, elements will always exist at the edge of society seeking to criticise or even undermine your administration. Its important not to pay any attention to what they have to say, since self-doubt is the most poisonous affliction for any sovereign. After all, if they know so much, why are you the one sitting in the driver’s seat while they clamour for attention at the back of the bus?

This guide will teach you how best to quash these dangerous dissidents, so that you can more easily realise your utopian vision for the nation – your nation. The techniques here are presented in an order that our experts think will be the simplest for a first time ruler, but feel free to improvise! Jump around a bit as circumstance demands, or just to watch those fringe elements squirm. Even someone as dedicated to advancing the greater good as you deserves to enjoy themselves every now and then.

Remember, the most important thing while you build the great society – your society – is to have fun!

Step 1 – Disarm the Dissidents

An armed population is an unruly population! Just like a de-clawed animal makes the best pet, defenceless people are the easiest to domesticate. Obviously, you’ll have to take away their guns – but don’t be afraid to go further! Knives, axes, scissors and knitting needles – all can be used against you or your agents.

Start by outlawing dangerous weapons in public places, and when this proves an ineffective deterrent to criminals you can push for more regulation and registration. Ideally you will end up with a list of every legal gun-owner. Don’t worry about the illegal owners, they will always be around and are such a small minority that they don’t pose a threat to your regime.

Timing is everything when you are finally ready to start taking weapons away – statistical evidence and rational argument will not be on your side, so wait for a tragedy before you make your move! Declining crime rates are no match for a pile of bodies – so stand atop it with pride while you paint your opponents as heartless.

PROTIP: While you gradually reduce the power of people to defend themselves, take the opportunity to more heavily arm your own forces in the name of “public safety.” Every local police force should have assault weapons, and at least one tank, if possible! (Armed drones are also a great idea – see Step 5)

Step 2 – Seize the Schools

Children are the future – your future. A young mind is fertile soil for growing the followers of tomorrow, and as any good farmer will tell you – if you want a good crop come harvest, nationalise education!

Its no secret that all children have the same needs and capabilities, and that’s why a national curriculum is so important to your success! Of course, funding schools can be difficult with all the other great projects you will be working on – so don’t be afraid to cut programs that won’t serve your goals. Art, economics, mathematics and science are all fat to be discarded if necessary; but never, ever get rid of history. The social studies classroom is your arena! Its a sad, outdated notion that history is an objective study of the past. Those of us in the know are aware that its actually a perfect medium for selling ideology to impressionable youth.

PROTIP: Remember to tack these three magical words onto every educational edict you issue “…for our children.” No one can argue with that – it would mean that they were anti-children. Its just logic.

Step 3 – Bolster the Bureaucracy

Depending on your predecessors – your rightfully unlimited power may be unfairly constrained by silly things like constitutional law or other branches of government. But modern science has given us a fantastic tool to overcome such hurdles – the bureaucrat!

A simple rule of thumb: if you can’t legislate it, regulate it! Is an impasse among underlings getting you down? Create an entirely new agency to bypass the whole process! Between the Department of This and the Agency of That (not to mention the Board of the Other), there will be dozens, if not hundreds of different subordinates who you can instruct to pass any given order.

PROTIP: People love wars and they provide a great opportunity to expand the scope of state power! But sometimes a war on a neighbouring country is impractical – which is why its such a good idea to declare war on more nebulous, abstract foes: “War on Poverty,” “War on Drugs,” “War on Terror,” “War on Obesity,” “War on Badwrongness” – be creative!

Step 4 – Neuter the Newspapers

[CENSORED] (Ed. Note: Good job! You are catching on!)

PROTIP: A great way to get started on this is to establish an ‘independent’ agency to monitor the press – it can all be done in the name of “creating and maintaining a balanced and free media.” We couldn’t have any private parties injecting their agenda into the news.

Step 5 – Surveil the Citizenry

Its no coincidence that The Police sang “Every Breath You Take,” because they’ll most certainly be watching you (or rather, your subjects)! By now you might have upset some of the coarser plebeians, and the first step to removing a cancer on society is detecting it.

Thanks to the marvels of technology, its easier than ever to keep track of the average Jane or Joe Citizen. Who will complain about wanting “a chicken in every pot” when you give them “a camera on every street corner?” No one – at least not for long!

Don’t forget to keep up with all the new-fangled gadgetry either – phone-tapping, internet data retention, microwave scanning, mandatory blood and saliva testing; the possibilities are just endless. The best part is, it can all be done in the name of “national security!”

PROTIP: Before you take the reigns, be as vocal as possible in your opposition to a surveillance state – then your supporters will take for granted that anything you do must be necessary, since you oppose it so strongly on principle!

Step 6 – Jilt the Judiciary

To paraphrase the great thinker and statesman, Benjamin Franklin “People… deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Truer words have never been spoken! You’ve accomplished a lot so far, and its OK to congratulate yourself for a job well done. In fact, why not declare a national day of celebration in your honour? We’ll still be here when you come back, champ!

We bet that was fun! The hard work is almost done – if you haven’t already all you need to do is to start enforcing your laws as arbitrarily as you create them. The notion that everyone has to follow the same rules is a ludicrous relic and has no place in an advanced society.

Besides, if you’ve completed Step 3 odds are everybody is guilty of something. You may as well pass sentence now and define a charge later. In fact, you can probably just drop the pretence of charging people with crimes altogether. You are the state and if you say someone’s guilty, that’s the way it is!

PROTIP: Setting and expanding precedent is key here! If you can get away with something once, you’ve proven that its always acceptable. Use a missile strike on foreigners yesterday to justify an assassination of one of your own citizens tomorrow. Dream big!

Step 7 – Profit!

Congratulations on completing the guide! You should now be in a great position to enforce your policy whims, whatever they might be! Soon your world-view will come to its full fruition. You may be interested in our companion work – How to Cope with Societal Collapse: A Statist’s Guide. Until then – all hail the glorious leader!

Originally published on Austen’s personal blog under a creative common license

Partnership with ATA

John Humphreys — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:59:18 +0000

The Australian Libertarian Society (ALS) has existed in Australia for over 12 years, promoting libertarian ideas and helping to bring together libertarians around Australia in forums and occasional events. However, the ALS is a purely volunteer body with no money or resources.

To keep relevant as we move forward, we have decided to partner with the Australian Taxpayers Alliance, who have been active in Australia since 2012.

The ALS and ATA share a belief in shrinking the size of government, reducing tax, and decreasing the amount of regulations and nanny state rules. Having said that, the two organisations approach these goals in slightly different ways — with ATA bringing together a broader coalition of anti-tax advocates and engaging in more retail activism, while the ALS focuses more on the philosophy of freedom.

The two organisations are already informally linked, with ATA director (Tim Andrews) being a long-term member of the ALS board, and the ALS director (John Humphreys) currently acting as the deputy director of the ATA. The ALS will continue to operate separately, keeping this name and web address, but some of the administration will be taken over by ATA which already has a more sophisticated structure.

We look forward to starting a new chapter for the ALS, which will be launched with a “libertarian conference” in Sydney later this year. More details coming soon.

Seasteading video

John Humphreys — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:09:38 +0000

The arguments used in this short video also eloquently explain the arguments for federalism and political decentralisation. More competing governments will give us more experiments, policy evolution and better public policy. More information about the Seasteading Institute can be found at their website.

The Journal of Peace, Prosperity & Freedom

Sukrit Sabhlok — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 08:29:28 +0000

As editor of Australia’s only journal dedicated to advancing research in “Austrian” free-market economics and libertarian political philosophy, I invite you to browse the articles from the first issue, available for free online.

Physical copies can be ordered from Amazon for only $8. Please do contribute an article for the second edition.

Upcoming Events – Melbourne & Sydney

Sukrit Sabhlok — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:37:20 +0000

UPCOMING EVENTS:

‘The Economics Policies of Hong Kong… in Australia?’ – Sydney – City Extra, Shop E4, East Podium. Oct 21 @ 7pm

‘Mises Dinner’ – Melbourne – Queensberry Hotel, 593 Swanston St (cnr Queensberry St) Carlton. Oct 17 @ 6:30 PM

More details at la.org.au/meetups