Envy: the deadly sin of the left

Gangsters now control an illicit market estimated to be worth almost $10 billion. The federal government's tobacco excise revenue fell dramatically since 2020, from more than $16 billion to $7.4 billion in 2025, with further falls forecast. Due to cheaper cigarettes, smoking rates may have actually increased.

Another industry disliked greatly by the Left is coal. In 2022, the (then Labor) Queensland Government introduced three new progressive royalty tiers in addition to the existing regime: 20 per cent for coal prices above $175 per tonne, 30 per cent above $225 per tonne, and 40 per cent above $300 per tonne. According to the Minerals Council of Australia, the 2022 royalty changes almost doubled state royalty revenue from $7.7 billion in 2021–22 to $14.8 billion in 2022–23, despite production volumes remaining steady. Queensland's share of national royalty payments jumped from 32.5 per cent to 47.2 per cent in the same period.

BMA, which is Australia's largest producer of seaborne metallurgical coal and is owned 50:50 by BHP and Mitsubishi Development, has cut jobs and mothballed some mines. The company is said to now have an effective tax and royalty rate of 67 per cent, and to now return just 1 per cent on capital employed. It thus paid around eight times more in royalties than it made in profit. Taxes of this magnitude are a major impediment to further investment and are analogous to lowering the odds after a horse has won a race.

Despite the Left's envy of those with high income and wealth, Ministers of the Albanese Government have recently demonstrated a taste for lavish spending on themselves using taxpayers' money. Federal politicians spent $1.1 million flying and driving their families to Canberra and around Australia in a single year, using reunion travel entitlements. Rules are now being questioned after revelations that Communication and Sport Minister Anika Wells used the scheme for her husband to attend several high-profile sporting events, including allegedly paying a chauffeur to wait 7 hours while they were at the cricket

Analysis of parliamentarians' family travel expenses for 2024-25 shows taxpayers were billed more than $700,000 for travel to and from Canberra, while almost $400,000 was spent on flights between other destinations in Australia, and $60,000 on chauffeured Comcar and other car expenses. Trade Minister Don Farrell was the largest user of family travel over the 12 months, spending a total of $48,178. West Australian Senator Fatima Payman was the second highest spender on family travel, with a bill of $41,438. Former opposition leader Peter Dutton was third with $36,542.

Then there is the loophole with travel allowances for stays in Canberra. Canberra is the only capital city where federal MPs can choose to pocket their travel allowance (TA), even if they are staying at a house they own outright or at an apartment owned by a spouse. The current daily rate for Canberra TA for Australian Parliamentarians and their staff is $322. Albanese has refused to ban MPs from claiming the allowance to stay in their own Canberra accommodation. Some even rent out their Canberra homes on Air B&B during non-sitting weeks.

Overall, to return to the main theme, many leftists resent other people being better off to the point that (while they won't admit it) they will even accept lower national living standards, if this reduces the degree to which "tall poppies" outperform them economically. Lefties also fail to admit the obvious, which is that incentives matter, if an economy is to prosper.