Introduced in 1696  and repealed in 1851, successively stupid British Governments supported a “window tax” on all housing in the UK.

It ended when it was proven that the resulting outcomes saw major increases in poor health, especially diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency, such as rickets in children who rarely saw the sun, owing to many houses built without windows.

Such stupid tax impositions on populations by Governments has not gone away, and the consequences of such silly philosophical ideologies that are the basis for raising more tax has never been more evident.

The majority of Australians are not stupid, and can see virtual highway robbery being undertaken by the Labor Government, this time without a mask or pistol.

The past impost of GST and the host of other existing taxes on families and businesses is enormous. Combine this with a tax on energy (Carbon tax),the mining tax (Natural Resource tax), and now to increase the burden of superannuation on businesses will make Australians the most highly-taxed and unproductive country on the planet.

So what is next? Might this Labor Government look to tax our wives maybe, who provide an estimated $8 billion per year of unpaid work at home?

Such an idea is no less stupid or destructive than taxing the air we breathe or taxing windows on a home.

What utter madness.

Chick Olsson

Director, Australian Woolgrowers Association

NSW