Opinion: As with Story Bridge, someone else is always expected to pay

A common attitude in politics is the most favoured tax being the one that does not affect me, writes Robert Schwarten. VOTE IN OUR POLL

• What you said about fixing Story Bridge

Every day someone somewhere demands the government spend more on something.

Local governments are the same, except they tend to use some precedent, “constitutional” or other reason why their ratepayers shouldn’t be picking up the bill.

As anyone who has come across a shout dodger in a pub round knows, it’s pretty obvious that bludging on someone else is cost-effective.

And so we come to the Story Bridge, which it seems is on its last legs.

The council’s solution? To put the bite on state and federal taxpayers, pretending they are some alien beings not subject to council rates somewhere where their own local bridges also need maintaining.

But this is just the thin edge. All South East Queensland councils demanded an Olympics, but only because the cost of it fell to the state and federal politicians.

■ Story Bridge history: All the wildest tales of Brisbane icon

It is an attitude that can be best summed up as the most favoured tax being the one that does not affect me.

We see this all the time in politics: Paul Keating opposed the John Hewson GST for pure political gain, despite pushing for it when he was treasurer.

Tony Abbott said no cuts, only to have them thrown in his face in his first budget as prime minister.

The Crisafulli state government opposed higher coal royalties and said budget repair was easy.

In office, it has – so far, at least – continued the royalties, while nurses are walking out of hospitals because the state cannot afford to meet their pay demands.

No family I know thinks it can travel the world, buy a Mercedes-Benz and eat and drink at the best restaurants. Reality strikes home each week, courtesy of the bank balance.

But for some reason governments are expected to do the opposite – and when they don’t, they are condemned.

One cannot blame the politicians, as every time one suggests a new or higher tax they are pilloried.

The federal Labor government is now taking on superannuation, which has gone from being there to provide a decent standard of living in retirement to often a golden handshake.

The fact there are 80 accounts with over $100m in them ought to be evidence enough that some major surgery is required to the way tax is imposed on those accounts.

But no, just about everyone with a voice has condemned the plans.

I am yet to see any media-led campaign aimed at taxing the ultra-wealthy, yet there are many run to try to shame governments into funding infrastructure and services.

It all just doesn’t add up.

Robert Schwarten is a former Queensland Labor minister