Actually you're right about that.. forgot about fresh produce! Not trying to be an oracle, but knowing Howard and his cronies, would you really be surprised when the apple tax comes into effect say, sometime in 2005? :) But then again for all we know by then it could be PM Latham (doesn't that send a shiver up your spine! I mean, not that Howard's better but yikes.) On the very bright side, come the elections I don't have to vote, because I just live here and study here- I'm not as Aussie as you'd imagine. And yup, that means I'm not liable for the ambulance levy either (yay!). But that being said I still think it's rubbish- like for the most of us, the only time we'll be in an ambulance, let's just say the sirens won't be on.. In which case you could only justify the ambulance thing as a one off payment, not as a subscription thing. I mean, if the govt wanted more money, they could have just raised the GST to 11% and said "hey we're still lower than Canada ey", and that'd be harder to argue with. Then they could divert that money to healthcare (and ambulances) then it'd look good even!
About "what tha??" and your rugrat, that sounds like a fairly easy photo opp doesn't it! I'm sure I'm not the only one waiting for it! (btw, gotta admit it, that's probably the funniest bit of Rove..) :) Ryan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tanya Mayer Photography" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 9:09 PM Subject: Re: Aussie GST (Re: *ist D - with no lens?!?) > LOL! Ryan, this would be all well and good, except, I am pretty sure that > apples, being fresh produce are in fact GST Free! hehe... Of course, I am > only joking around, and I do understand your explanation of it all... > > I would also be eager to hear what comes of your Hong Kong guy... > > Now as for your "what tha?!" How funny that you should use that phrase as > my 3yo has just this week started saying it, and it is SOOOOO hilarious. He > always manages to use it in the right context and even throws his hands up > in the air. I have no idea how he ever managed to see Rove, but he does > tend to sneak out of his bed at night, so there is the possibility that he > was watching over my shoulder one night. > > As for the Ambulance Levy - do you mean the one that it now in our > Electricity account? That is just our normal QLD Ambulance cover, meaning > that you no longer have to subscribe and that every QLD'er is automatically > covered by it. ie whoever is in your house is covered by your elect. bill. > I am PRETTY sure this is the way it works, but don't take it as gospel... > > tan. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ryan Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 5:23 PM > Subject: Aussie GST (Re: *ist D - with no lens?!?) > > > > Hey Tan! > > Well I'm not exactly sure, but in my (very possibly flawed) logic, I'll > try > > to work it out... > > > > As I understand it, GST here is what we (Eaters) pay the govt for the > right > > to eat an apple in Australia. > > > > Businesses pay GST for 10 apples, and they claim back this GST (tax > credit) > > for 10 apples when they sell them (because they are not the Eaters). > > If they don't sell the apples, they don't claim the tax credits because > then > > they are the Eaters. > > > > If you buy an apple from Applerama in the states, you get charged because > > you are then assumed to be: > > a) The business- in which case you get charged GST, but can sell the apple > > and claim tax credits > > b) The Eater- in which case you pay the GST (the right to eat the apple in > > Australia), and have an American apple. > > > > That's how I understand it more or less.. Answering the question 'who > > exactly does the GST go to?'- the only place tax goes to is the govt, it's > > not supposed to go anywhere else. Now what we in Aus get out of it is a > > whole other thing. Given how high the GST is (albeit less than Canada) and > > income tax is, Australians sure don't get very much out of it (look what > > they're doing to Medicare, how unreliable public transport is, not to > > mention Howard and Nelson messing up education as well). I heard from some > > Norwegian friends they get 100% of their Aus education, living expenses > paid > > upfront by the Norw. govt. and when they go back, they only have to repay > > 40%(which is why there are so many Norwegians in Brissie)! (If they go to > > uni in Norway, it's a free or a very nominal fee). And I heard healthcare > is > > free, so is Internet access! > > > > Anyway, back to Australia, I've been checking up things they say on the > > aus.photo newsgroup, and recently there've been some interesting threads > on > > import duty limits (I read that it may have been raised to $900 instead of > > $400). Also about mailorder there's a chance you escape GST if the seller > is > > on your side enough to label your apple 'non commercial value gift' > instead > > of 'Ebay purchase'. They do catch the occasional undervalued imports (and > > you pay up at the post office) by postal xrays etc. but they don't catch > > everything, so one benefit of buying online, is that you've got the chance > > of getting lucky. I mean, they're vigilant but they surely don't catch > > everything. > > > > Sometime back I sent an email to a very reputable (albeit mainly Canon) > > mailorder guy in HK, Hugo So, and he quoted me: > > > Sigma EX 70-200 2.8 for Pentax mount $578 (pending stock check as I > don't > > stock pentax system) > > > > > Shipping $35 (Gross 2-2.5kg) > > > > > Insurance $8 > > > > > Total: $621 shipped and insured > > > > which is a very good price for that lens. Also I think if you asked him, > > he'd label it a gift too. I'm hoping to get the new 77mm version of the > > Sigma EX 17-35 2.8-4 from him in January.. Anyway, I just sent him an > email > > asking if he had the *ist D, and am awaiting a reply. I'll let you know > what > > he says. Meanwhile, you can check him out here > > http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/43780 > > > > Anyway.. before this becomes a novel, think I better grab some dinner. > > > > Ryan > > > > PS. Feel free to correct me if I severely got that apple analogy mistaken. > > Also! If there's something way over my head, you can explain to me what > that > > Ambulance Levy is. As Rove would say, 'Wot tha?' :) Ta! > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Tanya Mayer Photography" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 3:27 PM > > Subject: Re: *ist D - with no lens?!? > > > > > > > Yeah, but who exactly does the GST go to? Like if I haven't been > charged > > by > > > say B&H for GST, then if customs charges me > > > with it and the transaction took place outside of the country, then how > > can > > > the Aus Govt charge it as there is nobody within the country who will be > > > eligible to claim the tax credits for it, iykwim? > > > > > > bloody GST, what a pain in the proverbial... > > > > > > tan. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Ryan Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 2:42 PM > > > Subject: Re: *ist D - with no lens?!? > > > > > > > > > > Hey Tanya, > > > > I'm not going to get one anytime soon, but I'm trying to keep an eye > on > > > *ist > > > > D prices, and just some extra info for ya, though you probably are > aware > > > of > > > > it.. Unfortunately for us down under the best prices are online, and > not > > > in > > > > the continent. B&H have it for about USD$1500 (body only, and you see > > this > > > > price if you add it to your cart). Which seems pretty decent, but > > together > > > > with postage, and GST (if you're unlucky enough for customs to spot > it) > > it > > > > probably comes up to around the price you found. > > > > > > > > Yesterday I found this other link on Ebay (it only ended this morning) > > > > > > > > > > http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2969274393&category=30020&rd=1 > > > > It's a really good deal.. excluding postage, USD$1600 with a 1 Gb > > > > microdrive! Unfortunately it's a bit of a gamble whether customs spots > > it > > > > and whops you with GST.. > > > > > > > > I doubt you'd happen to be going anywhere overseas for a holiday would > > ya? > > > > :) Seems like the best option.. sigh > > > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > Ryan > > > > > > > > PS. This company has a freaky price- USD$1149 for the *ist D body.. > > Found > > > it > > > > thru Froogle.com. Is it genuine?? Anyone? > > > > http://www.amphotoworld.com/product.asp?id=pnistdigital&l=Froogle > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "Tanya Mayer Photography" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 10:26 AM > > > > Subject: *ist D - with no lens?!? > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi all, I have just found an Aussie site where I can purchase the > > *istD > > > > > WITHOUT a lens! It is only au$2497.00. Link is here: > > > > > > > > > > http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/category149_1.htm > > > > > > > > > > Cheapest I have found it anywhere in Oz. All of their other gear is > > > very > > > > > cheap too. > > > > > Question to all of you who have it already - this is my collection > of > > > > > lenses - > > > > > > > > > > - Tamron Adaptall (manual focus) 135mm f2.5 (my all time favourite > > > > lens!!), > > > > > - Tamron AF 28-200mm Aspherical, > > > > > - Pentax 28-105mm FA powerzoom, > > > > > - Pentax 50mm f1.7 FA, > > > > > - Pentax A 70-210mm macro (thanks Stan!!), > > > > > - Sigma 35-80mm f4-5.6 AL (came on my MZ-6/ZX-L body). > > > > > > > > > > I am pretty happy with this lineup now having converted most of my > > older > > > > > lenses over to newer stuff. I have two manual focus lenses that I > > love > > > > and > > > > > will never part with though! Ok, so my question is - how will this > > > > > collection of lenses go with the *istD? Keeping in mind that I am > > > > shooting > > > > > alot of weddings, I tend to use zooms for those, and then the 135mm > > > Tamron > > > > > for individual shots. Should I purchase the *istD with the FAJ > > 18-35mm > > > > (an > > > > > extra au$450) or without a lens? What have most of you done? > > > > > > > > > > MTIA, > > > > > > > > > > tan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
