Perhaps one of the most obvious comments about the report mentioned was that, commissioned or not, it was not compiled in Australia. Every society or cultural group has its own collective impetus: the opinions of communities in EU countries are often diametricly opposed to the opinions of Australians.

I very much doubt that the average "Aussie Battler" is inspired to work harder or more contentedly in the face of the current disparity in wages. Yes, of course, in a capitalist system, the knowledge that opportunity for betterment exists does act, in the early stages of working life, as an incentment.

But, ten years in, with two kids and a mortgage (or, as is increasingly happening in the lower echelons, no hope of ever being able to own their own home)) horizens shrink to simply getting through from month to month.

Resentment does not fester in the breasts of young hopefuls just starting out and brushing the stars from their eyes. It grows from a growing realisation that the Aussie Dream, for the vast majority of struggling people, has been tucked away in that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, forever out of reach.

How did the Howard Govt fuzz the unemployment figures to allow the thousands of poor workers who were unfairly sacked not being reflected in the unemployment figures ?

Could Howard or Costello be brought to Justice at this point and prosecuted for fudging the Unemployment figures eg; Lying to Parliament .
Julia and Sharon could then bring a Class Action against them and sue for Compensation this would be a big help to those thousands of Unfairly Dismissed .

Those people who claim not to be resentful of the high pay of their managers/bosses/ceos etc. must be the types identified as politically volatile by the Howards and Rudds of the world: 'ASPIRATIONAL AUSTRALIANS'! Their 'aspirations' lead them to wish to emulate the wealthy and mega-wealthy, and in turn to despise social security recipients of all kinds and probably anyone who works for the public service, while thinking nothing of the way the rich evade taxes. They are the people who have developed the sense of entitlement that has made Australia a land of middle class welfare.

Don asks some cynical and silly rhetorical questions about the 'working Australians'. They are the same ones whom Howard referred to as 'Battlers'; at first Howard meant those who were seduced to an extent by Hanson, but his meaning changed later on to be more encompassing of the aspirationals rather than the real battling types. Rudd has just changed the nomenclature. It matters not whether they work for others or are self-employed or even business owners; they are the aspirational ones, those with a sense of entitlement. Rudd knows that they like to believe they work hard and are entitled to everything he gives them.

A self serving load of twaddle designed to justify income inequality.