Coalition tanks welfare
Coalition tanks welfare: We must stop their efforts to divide Australians.
I am not for a second saying that Coalition voters are beyond the pale. Nor are ALP voters for that matter. Nor are Independent voters. Nor are Green’s voters, of which I happen to be one. As Australians we agree to disagree on policy issues but generally we do so in a peaceful and moderate manner. That is one of our strengths as a people.
But the current crop of Coalition politicians in Canberra really take the cake. Their public utterances are nothing short of downright divisive.
Let’s drill down into the issue of welfare and have a think about the nonsense that the Coalition is sprouting out there in the conservative press.
To begin with they are trying to set up a divide between the mythically perfect taxpayer and that ‘other’ group – the welfare recipients of this country.
Well you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that welfare recipients are taxpayers too. Welfare recipients pay GST on their purchases just like everybody else does. That makes them taxpayers. That they are forced to live below the poverty line and therefore cannot afford to buy much is an issue for another time.
In my own case I totally resent the rubbish that comes out of the mouths of Coalition politicians. I’m 62 years old and unemployed. I ‘receive’ the Newstart benefit. I battle unemployment and ageism with as much grace as I can muster.
All of my working life I have paid taxes to the federal government. And part of that tax I placed in trust with the federal government to cover me when, on occasion, I have found myself out of work. The paltry amount I currently receive back is MY OWN money. It is not the government’s money. It is not the mythically perfect taxpayer’s money. It is MY OWN taxpayer money.
I am not impressed by Coalition politicians labeling welfare recipients, particularly the unemployed, as ‘leaners’ who are having a holiday at ‘taxpayer’s’ expense. God’s teeth you could scream at the stupidity of those Coalition politicians … most people are unemployed because of the simple reason that there aren’t enough jobs out there.
Each and every week a growing number of decent Australians are being thrown on the job scrap heap … and the best those Coalition politicians can do about the whole situation is to blame and punish the unemployed for the situation that they find themselves in.
The language of division that the Coalition uses is starting to become appalling. By sprouting their breathy support for the ‘hard-working people’ of this country and by demonising all the ‘others’ as leaners and bludgers they are creating a schism in our society that is dragging us all down a very uncomfortable path.
We all know that whatever level of our society you care to look at you will find a small number of people who seek to gain an advantage by ripping off the system. Some people in corporate boardrooms do that. Some people working in offices do that. Some people working in factories do that too. Some of our politicians do that. Some of your neighbours do that. And some people connected to welfare benefits do that.
However … I greatly resent it when the gutter press picks up on an isolated example of somebody out there ripping off the welfare system and then all of a sudden, all of the small minds in our society then automatically tar the rest of us unemployed with the same brush. Well I’ve got news for those small minds … learn to spell the word ‘redundancy’, it may come your way one day soon. And it will be interesting to see how you will feel when the Coalition politicians and trolls call YOU a bludger.
It is my belief that the current Coalition Government is fanning up a lot of hate in a lot of small minds. I do not like how they are trying to divide Australians from each other.
On the 12th of July I am marching in the Brisbane Welfare Rights March (part of the series of March Australia National Welfare Marches).
Initially my motivation was based upon the need for better overall social welfare policies for the disadvantaged members of our society. That is still a large part of my motivation for taking part in the march … but another layer has been added to my thinking.
Those Coalition politicians, with their divisive language and policies, with their mentality of blaming everybody else, are now starting to affect the very welfare of our country.
The welfare of our country is something worth defending, don’t you think?
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Return to home pageOf course the welfare dependents have to be marginalized. DIVIDE AND CONQUER!
By using the term “welfare” you’re already buying into their sociopathic framing.
That they are forced to live below the poverty line and therefore cannot afford to buy much is an issue for another time.
THAT, is in fact why ‘the elites’ hate welfare recipients. They don’t consume enough to participate in the endless growth stupidity.
amazing how Rupert’s Rags are pushing this so much, could it be to take the focus away from their dodgy tax dealings? no, that would never happen
And another interesting article on employment……
Thank you for this article. This is a despicable government who pander to the lowest common denominator.
Well said mate! I too have been thrown on the scrap heap at 58, mind you thanks to hard work all my life my body is pretty broken as well. Glad to see you spell out that we are taxpayers as well!!!!! Like you I stupidly thought I had a social contract with my country and after paying high taxes all my life if anything went wrong they would be there for me. What a bloody joke that has turned out to be, I am starving on newstart and then told I am a bludger and a leaner! How do we get them to at least lift payments to the poverty level so we can at least live? Thanks and best of luck to you Keith, Ken.
Well said indeed.
I am in a similar position:- 64 years old, thrown on the scrap heap and unemployable at 50 due to serious chronic illness and trying to survive on an invalid pension. I had a very well paid job and the income tax I paid in the last 10 years I worked would have paid the pittance I now get for the rest of my life. Abbott and Hockey have even managed to turn people I thought were friends into those looking down on me as a “leaner” or “bludger”. Thankfully, some of our friends are what I would call “true Australians” and they have been true friends.
My super payout wasn’t even enough to pay off the mortgage and the last 14 years have been a financial and emotional struggle. Surely our society is better than this and we can all live with some dignity.
Too true. There are far too many of us in comparable situations. My DSE wouldn’t even let me try to retrain as a lollypop holder on worksites because “I might not cope with standing around”.
The ONE thing that really pisses me off about the whole welfare debacle is the attitude fromm ALL politicians in Canberra, and probably at State level too, is that THEIR financial payments and benefits and allowances are untouchable.
Not one of them has made any sort of comment regarding the obscene amounts of money normal Australians pay our leadership, without any negotiation wit us as their employERS at all.
The last time I read anything on the subject, tony abbot was being paid about $400000 pa plus allowances, making him the highest paid National Leader on the planet.
What a joke.
Hang in there Keith.
2016 is not far off. If by then it is still legal to vote against him, abbot will get the boot, Sadly he will be paid more than I have ever earned per year for life, but maybe that will be changed one day too.
Rage on.
I agree Keith. My age pension is certainly not welfare. It is effectively the same as superannuation as we currently know it, except payments were made to Governments of all persuasions, in the form of part of my taxes, on the understanding that on retirement, the money invested by the Governments would be repaid to me as a pension. The current form of superannuation is exactly the same, except the now money is paid to private companies to invest. The various Governments have invested my money in roads, hospitals, schools etc., to enable people today to drive to their jobs, go to schools, tafes and universities, etc., to obtain the learning they need to get jobs and better jobs. Hence they are able to earn money and pay taxes. So anyone (Joe Hockey) who resents using the taxes they currently pay to pay for my age pension, GET OFF MY BLOODY ROADS AND GET YOUR KIDS OUT OF THE SCHOOLS I BLOODY PAID FOR!!!
You have to have certain type of nastiness and cruelty to deliberately make your fellow beings suffer for no reason. Debt is bullshit and we can afford to look after those who are marginalised. This lies are born of fear and hatred not kindness and caring. In short they are vile inhumane religious hypocrites. They are too dumb to realise their Jesus would be absolutely disgusted.
I’m right with you Keith – your article will resonate with a very large number of Australians. Abbott is one of a kind – such maggots float to the top of the political heap in rare circumstances – here in Oz the circumstances were just right for a person of the Abbott ilk. One such circumstance was and still is ‘Murdoch’. Another is the threat that essential policy action on climate change poses to the vested interests of Australian mining profits. Abbott is a shrewd and amoral politician and he saw the opportunity to represent the miners interests and so the money flowed to him like rivers of gold.
But Abbott is a bought man – a partisan political prostitute whose demise and fall is something that millions are looking forward to – and it will happen sooner than later since he is on the wrong side of history, on every count.
I agree that he is doing damage to our social cohesion and in response I have re-joined the Union movement (I’m retired) as Unions and their alliance groups are all that we have left when political representation turns against the people as it has in Australia.
Good but disturbing article Keith,these politicians are experts at creating ”’ enemies”’ then through the media they go about scaring the rest of the population and teaching them to demonise and hate these supposed enemies,be they Muslims,dole bludgers,leaners,so called socialist,and anybody they deem to be not a member of ”” Team Australia””and if people think they are safe they had better think again because one day this Govt will come after them,and you and me and anybody else who dares question their warped bat shit crazyideology. Good luck to you and everybody else who finds themselves in your awful circumstances.””””””
IMHO … Too many “lifters” got where they are by fleecing honest people. “Lifters” seem to embrace the seven deadly sins as a life plan. “Lifters” are less likely to be honest, charitable, broadminded, forgiving, just … The less I have to do with them the better but I fear, having been fleeced once too often by unscrupulous “family” members I might be joining you soon Keith.
SACK THESE LIBERALS!! Trouble is, who do we have as an effective alternative? Sadly, not this current lot of Labor people, possibly the Greens, but they really do not have the numbers. In all my years of following politics, this current lot under Tony Abscess would appear to be the worst ones! Even Fraser pales in comparison! All I can say is God help us, & I am not a religious person!
The ranks of the unemployed are still a growing minority. When their votes are enough to sway elections, they will be looked after.