As a concept, the sovereign citizen movement, individuals identifying as sovereign citizens or something similar have existed in Australia for decades. These beliefs have been manifest in the various ways these people attempt to dissociate themselves from societal structures1. These range from eccentrics like Prince Leonard of ‘Hutt River Province’ who attempted to set up his own ‘micronation’ on a remote bit of land, even to the extent of creating his own flag, currency and stamps2, to extreme libertarians who choose not to pay taxes or to get such things as drivers’ licences1.
These sovereign citizens are increasingly spreading misleading claims that encourage tax evasion and faulty legal arguments on social media. They believe the Australian government and taxation are illegitimate. This has prompted the Australian Taxation Office to warn against listening to fruitcakes spouting debunked claims about taxation being voluntary in Australia3.
If someone wants to be a sovereign citizen, and wants to not pay tax, I don’t really have a problem with that, as long as they don’t get to freeload on things that taxes have paid for in full or in part; taxes I have paid all my working life. These things include roads, railways, buses, footpaths, schools, ambulances, hospitals, fire brigades, libraries, courts, parks, playgrounds, police, shopping centres, reticulated electricity, reticulated water, television, radio, NBN, the mobile phone network, and the cable telephone network. If they decide to get a job, they should not be able to claim the protections afforded to other workers by the legislation and regulations passed by the parliament whose legitimacy they reject. This should make them popular employees among the rapacious capitalists; because you can pay them a pittance. If they use any of these, they should be charged with theft, for using something they have not helped fund by being part of this society. If charged and convicted they should be fined and if they cannot pay the fine, or refuse to do so, they should be made to do community work. The irony of that would probably be lost on them as they are not the sharpest tools in the shed.
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