Unfortunately, none of this was reported in the Australian main stream media:
(Reuters) - The United Nations on Thursday (5th July) urged countries to impose international taxes to raise more than $400 billion a year, such as a carbon tax, a currency transaction tax and a billionaires tax, to offset cutbacks in aid by many countries amid global economic turmoil.
The U.N. World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) found the needs of developing countries were not being met, more money was needed to fight challenges like climate change and new taxes would help "donor countries overcome their record of broken promises."
CNS news summarises the proposed UN global taxes:
Carbon Tax: A tax of $25 a ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted in developed countries would raise an estimated $25 billion a year. The money could be collected by national authorities, but be earmarked for international cooperation. CO2 is the “greenhouse gas” blamed most often for climate change.
Currency Transaction Tax: A tax of 0.005 per cent on all trading in four major currencies – the U.S. dollar, the euro, the yen and pound sterling – would yield around $40 billion a year for international initiatives. The decades-old idea of levying a small charge on financial transactions is sometimes called a “Robin Hood tax” since it supposedly taxes rich nations to benefit poor ones.
The European Union’s executive Commission has proposed the introduction of such a tax – 0.1 per cent for shares and bonds and 0.01 per cent for derivatives – in the 27-member union with effect from January 1, 2014, an initiative expected to raise just over $70 billion a year. The WESS says a portion of that could be earmarked for international cooperation.
Billionaire’s Tax: A tax of around one per cent on individual wealth holdings of $1 billion or more, “with the revenue destined to finance internationally agreed global development purposes.” The WESS says this mechanism, which it estimates could raise $50 billion a year, is an option that could be explored but needs further technical elaboration.
And the Gillard government is committed to contributing 10% of the revenues raised from the Carbon Tax towards the UN. Incidentally, the “Robin Hood Tax” is presently Greens policy as is a Millionaires Tax of 50% on incomes over $1m.
If the UN tries to impose a global carbon tax or a tax on international currency transactions or any other tax that bypasses payments voted by our national parliament then that is the day Australia should pull out of the U.N.
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