octave

The only CGT I have first-hand experience of was on the sale of my house on 44 acres. As has been discussed on this forum in the past, there is a rule that you are liable for CGT on everything over 5 acres (2 Hectares). Unlike CGT on collectables, you are legally allowed to do the valuation yourself (but you may need to show your workings out). The exempt 5 acres need not be one parcel of land, so you choose all the most valuable bits to exempt. In my case, the house and infrastructure (water tanks, septic tanks, etc. and a strip of river frontage. I then was able to deduct the cost of ownership (rates etc maitanance of fences and other things). I was able to aggressively (but legally - I think) whittle the CGT bill down to $1500. I did half expect a please explain letter; however, it never came, and 9 years later, it is too late for them, unless they detect out-and-out fraud. I did plenty of research, and I actually found in an obscure place a tax department internal document that listed the conditions that trigger an audit with regard to land sales, so I felt on safe ground. The thing is, compared to some people selling land, my case was pretty trivial. It does not really make sense for ATO to spend vast sums of money detecting the sale 1 watch or piece of jewellery in a private sale. This is not tax advice!

In practice, for the ordinary person, I suspect it will be difficult to enforce. A CGT already exists; it is just the method of calculation and valuation that has changed (as far as I can see). If Onetrack sells me some of his lovely junk, how would the ATO even know? Since I have been downsizing, I have sold many possessions, mostly they have lost value, but some musical instruments have gained in value and are probably subject to CGT. Pretty hard to detect, though.

OK I think I have my answer. https://share.google/aimode/gHgADhB5bpfnRHy3G I think if you don't have a valuation, you can use what is called an "apportionment formula", but in some circumstances, this may be less advantageous.

PM, are you saying that the change is regarding the need for a valuation? CGT on items like jewellery has existed for a long time, but are there specific changes regarding the method of determining its value?

Approximately 209 million people were registered to vote in the 2020 presidential election and 158,427,986 ballots were submitted for president (75.8% of registered voters).

To clarify, the word average was quoted in the thread title "Sympathy for the AVERAGE American." This is why I included the word average, not as a mathematical statement. Some have suggested that Americans (average or otherwise) are not worried about Trump, so my point is that come the midterms, we will know what they do think or at least what those who vote think.

I guess we might get a feel for how the average American (voter) feels in November.

And how is that looking so far? As I understand it, the memorandum of understanding which lasts for 60 days, does not include handing over nuclear materials. It does seemingly involve unfreezing billions dollars of assets for the Iranians. I also understand that the Iranians have not ruled out charging tolls for ships using the Strait of Hormuz. Then there is regime change. This has not occurred, but several leaders have been killed, and it is believed their replacements are even harder line. The US has squandered its arsenal of weapons such as the Tomahawk Missile, which will take years to replenish. https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/us-indefinitely-suspends-tomahawk-japan#:~:text=The United States has indefinitely,day U.S. assault on Iran. "The United States has indefinitely suspended the delivery of Japan’s first 400 RGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles, due to serious shortages of the missiles in the U.S. Navy that have resulted from the 39 day U.S. assault on Iran. " It would be a great time for China to take Taiwan. But I guess if Americans are feeling down because of increasing healthcare costs, high petrol prices, etc. I am sure they are massively cheered up by the bulldozing of the East Wing to build that big, Beautiful Ballroom to be used by the ultra-rich. MMmmmm you've got to love all that gold leaf. I bet they they cant wait for the Arch De Trump or to get their first $250 bill with the dear leader's face on. I am sure they are so proud of the immense intelligence of the leader. So smart that he aces tests that are used to detect dementia. But of course, the doctor administering the test has never seen such a perfect score.

One Nation, led by Senator Pauline Hanson, has faced numerous financial and lobbying controversies over the years, including undisclosed campaign funds, police raids, and National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) referrals. [1, 2, 3] Key Corruption and Financial Controversies: NACC Staffer Referral: In May 2025, a former One Nation senator referred a senior party staffer to the National Anti-Corruption Commission amid allegations the staffer sought commissions from clients met during a 2017 Senate inquiry. [1] National Treasury Audits: In mid-2026, financial accounting reviews revealed the Queensland branch of One Nation accumulated missing assets and repeatedly failed to lodge required audited financial statements with the regulator since 2022. [1, 2] Defrauding the Electoral Commission: In late 2021, the party’s national treasurer, Alexander Jones, was charged with fraud following a referral from the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) over fraudulent documentation relating to election funding. Jones later pleaded guilty to attempted fraud in 2022. [1, 2, 3] Internal "Money Grab" Allegations: In August 2023, two of One Nation's New South Wales MPs quit the party after alleging under parliamentary privilege that officials improperly misappropriated and funneled state funds into federal coffers. [1] Undisclosed Plane Donations: The party was referred to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) following allegations that party officials hid the true ownership and donations of a light aircraft, and misused state taxpayer money. [1, 2] NRA Lobbying Scandal: An undercover investigation in 2019 captured senior party advisers seeking millions of dollars in campaign donations from the US National Rifle Association (NRA) in exchange for lobbying to weaken Australia's gun laws. [1, 2, 3]

Until the last few days, this forum has been pretty respectful between people with different political views. Suddenly, it has deteriorated. I am happy to listen to any reasoned, respectful argument.

One problem is that during an election, the electorate doesn't really want to hear the truth. Take house affordability. Most people acknowledge that homes, especially for first-time buyers, are way too expensive. A politician who promises to lower housing prices will surely do well until people who actually own a home realise that devaluing housing prices devalues their property as well. Not a great election pitch to existing home owners. Note, I personally am fine with that; you can't have everything. I find that voters at election time are rather like kiddies sitting on Santa's lap. They just want to be told what is in it for them.

I can relate to this. I mostly have 1 bottle a week, but these days Mrs Octave doesn't drink much at all so I end up drinking most of it. Whilst I am pretty moderate (mostly) if there is an open bottle, I will finish it. We are just experimenting with going out to a wine bar and having just one nice glass rather than a whole moderately priced bottle. Four times a year Mrs Octave is away for a week, so I tend to overdo it. When visiting my son in NZ I do fall into a bit of a trap. His household is pretty nerdy. They brew beer which is stored under the house and is piped into the kitchen. There are 3 taps with 3 different delicious home brews. A new addition is gin, which they distil themselves. There are bottles in a rack with a dispenser. This is a little problematic when I am cooking. Chop some onions, fill glass, saute onions fill glass, etc.

Brendon, you maybe should reflect on your own postings. As a new poster, you did rather come in quite aggressively. Many of us have been posting here for many years. I started posting in 2007. Although we have different views, here we can politely disagree and move on, instead of referring to "left wing turkeys" etc. I have often had disagreements with Nev, but I would never say this, and he would not say this about me because I don't make aggressive posts. You generally get what you give. T

In most EVs I know of it is in front of you. My heater and demister switches on my old Ford Focus are not directly in front of me. Here is a picture of the primary display for a BYD

By labour, I guess you mean Labor. Here is a breakdown of the levels of crime per state. Here is how the states and territories generally break down by safety and crime rates: Here is how the states and territories generally break down by safety and crime rates: Northern Territory: Highest per-capita crime rate nationally. Cities like Alice Springs and Darwin often top national per-capita crime lists. [1, 2, 3] Queensland: Has the highest crime rate among the major eastern states, with surging rates of assault, break-ins, and youth-related property crime. [1, 2, 3] Victoria: Frequently ranks highly on a per-capita basis, with recent statistics indicating record highs in criminal incidents—particularly in the Melbourne CBD and specific regional centres. [1, 2] New South Wales: Despite the high total volume of reported crimes (driven by its large population), its per-capita crime rates are relatively low compared to the rest of the country. [1, 2] Australian Capital Territory: Consistently considered one of the safest jurisdictions in Australia with significantly lower crime rates. [1, 2, 3] If you are making a connection between Labor governments and crime, you have to account for the fact that NSW has a low per capita crime rate. Is this an achievement of the NSW Labor government? The ACT has been governed by Labor since 2001 and has significantly lower crime. I am not spruiking for Labor here, I am not a party political person. In one of your posts you link to an ABC News site, which is lists all the crime stories. These are Australia-wide, not just Victorian. If you keep doomscrolling, of course, you will become anxious. I live in Victoria, and of course, I would like crime to be as low as possible; however, you have to keep things in perspective.

Whilst I don't doubt that there are problems to be worked out, it is not insurmountable. Consider a sport such as wrestling or boxing. Within one gender, there is a range of sizes and weights. They don't pair up a 110kg competitor with a 60kg competitor. They have weight classes. The fact is that sport only works when it is competitive. We don't team up professionals with amateurs; it would not be interesting to watch. The point is that these problems have solutions. In any case, the sports argument is often that is presented is "what about sport" as if this is an argument against trans is and an argument about sports. Now personally, I have little interest sport however, I suspect these issues of competitiveness regarding gender are as solvable as problems of different weight and size, as well as experience.

Can't you just select one of the many other available voices?

I guess at some stage a passenger will complain that it is too hot or too cold. Also, personally, I find that on a hot day, when I get in a boiling car, I crank the AC up to max. Then I guess that there are issues such as demisting the window. To me, reaching out without looking for an enormous screen and shifting a little up or down is certainly easier than in my present car.

If you want to literally see the actual temp in degrees, then I suppose yes, however, I think most of us would think, "it is too cold" and then give it a swipe upwards, perhaps a small swipe or perhaps a big swipe. Compare this with the Ford Focus switches. Three identical switches are relatively low down near the gear stick. Then there is the voice command "Hey BYD, increase heating" nbo need to take eyes off the road even for a second, and both hands can stay on the wheel.

I think there is a perception that on-screen controls are like going through a seemingly endless series of menu options. The reality is that these things are often better thought through than that. On the BYD vehicles, adjusting the heater or aircon is as simple as swiping 3 thingers accross the screen for fan speed or straight up and down for temperature. This does not require looking at the screen. You can also use voice controls. On my trusty old Ford Focus the heater and aircon controls are set quite low and there are 3 identical knobs. Not using these regularly, I can never remember which one is which without looking. I think there are valid questions about new methods, but I think often people who have never driven an EV tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I am sure there are valid criticisms of the layout and method of operating controls in both older and newer cars.

What is being forced on you? The SSM legislation extended a right to a group of people. It took nothing as far as I can see from you. We have a trans neighbour. Used to be a woman and now a man. We often meet for a coffee on a Saturday. I honestly can not give a toss what they have in their pants. They are in no way that I can discern infringing on my rights. Who cares? Get on with your life and try to be happy

If you think I am an apologist for Biden or his son, then you are wrong. I think wrongdoing should be punished, so we agree on that. But do you agree that Trump should be held to the same standard? By the way, Trump is the only President since Nixon not to release his tax returns. Trump was just awarded full immunity for himself and his sons from prosecution for tax crimes, mmm wonder why he asked for that? "The Immunity Deal: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an addendum to the settlement declaring that the United States is "forever barred and precluded" from prosecuting or pursuing tax claims against the Trumps and their affiliated businesses. [1, 2] The "Anti-Weaponization" Fund: As part of the wider settlement to drop the lawsuit, the DOJ established a $1.776 billion compensation fund meant for victims who claim they were targeted or wrongly prosecuted by previous government investigations. [1] The Leak Case: The initial $10 billion lawsuit was filed after an IRS contractor leaked Donald Trump's confidential tax returns to media outlets between 2018 and 2020. [1, 2] Democratic Backlash: Democratic lawmakers have condemned the agreement, characterizing the settlement as a "get-out-of-jail-free card" and an unprecedented abuse of executive power. [1, 2]

I would agree. The whole pardoning thing is a bad idea in my opinion. What Biden's son was prosecuted for illegal gun possession and tax issues. What the people in this Jan 6 video did was try to crush a man. These are not equal. In terms of nepotism, do you not have a problem with Eeic and Don Jr. Ivank, and Jarred Kushner? If nepotism is wrong (and it is), then it should be wrong across the board. These are facts, not the product of any kind of derangement syndrome.

Sometimes, I mean a man who brags about sexual assault! These are some of the folks that Trump pardoned. Are you OK with this? Should he have pardoned these people? Disturbing footage shows officer pinned as rioters rush Capitol door So you would like to go back to the 30s. You would like the healthcare system of the 30s. I don't know if you have offspring, but would you like your daughter (if you have any) to not be able to have a career? You want to work a 48-hour week? Can you define "woke" for me? I mean, my sister is gay, and I don't hate her, does that make me woke? My daughter-in-law is Chinese, she is smart, kind and funny, so of course I don't hate her, does that make me woke? If so, then I will happily wear that title. You talk about TDS, but have you considered "woke derangement syndrome"? I mean, you do seem a little angry. I stand by your right to criticise any politician; however, say something about Trump and you and his fans lose it.

When I learnt to fly, it did initially bother me that the throttle was operated with my right hand and the fine work of controlling the plane was with the stick and my left hand. The 10% of the population that are left-handed seem to learn to drive OK.