This is not the time for labor to revert to type and cast aside the promises to some of the middle class that helped bring them to power.

A swing of 5- 10% is easily achieved by targeting a segment of the population you previously courted.

this useless word equality=a waste of time. Change it to equity and the real need is fairness in the community. It is just and fair, eg equity, to not want to live in a society where my neighbors children are abused nightly, while mine are given every protection and advantage. I am neither just nor fair if I sit on my hands or feign ignorance of a situation that is unfair. But I have far less consideration of those spoilt souls who waste their time consumed with envy while sitting pretty and advantaged themselves. Envy is wasted emotion. Someone will always have more than you in any or all categories. Get over it. And focus on what you do do well or what you can do to bring more equity into your life or into the lives of others

the real need is fairness in the community.
Heather987,
yep ! Sadly, we're dealing Flight Level 75 with academia when it comes to dealing with the realities of life.
What we need but don't have for obvious reasons is no commitment by individuals towards society & society as a result has no provision for commitment to individuals. Until we can introduce responsibility i.e. make individuals accept responsibility things won't change. Gillard & her stunts only prove that she has no understanding of the whole show as indeed Labor has proven not to have either for many years now. It's time for change. Stop playing politics of ignorance.

Heavens be! Cuts to elite private schools, whatever next, life as we know it will cease, man the barricades - how could they?

One could equally argue, the politics of envy is often directed downwards not only upwards. Although in this case the 'envy' is often misplaced.

For example, it is interesting that Mr Abbott jumps up and down in a scaremongering frenzy about possible cuts to elite private schools and means testing of the baby bonus, while proposing that young unemployed be sent to mining companies in some sort of forced conscription plan - still to be defined.

Welfare in the form of personal safety nets tend to be viewed with cynicism and scepticism more than that of corporate welfare safety nets. The socialisation of debt is viewed as okay by those who espouse free enterprise and markets, but who baulk when any type of redistributive or equity program is mooted.

As a rule, I always switch off when the polticis of envy is used as a counter to any talk of equity or access to opportunity.

It is the coward's way of avoiding issues of increasing wage disparity and other issues that really lie at the heart of the goal of egalitarianism. The fact that Howard strived to appeal to the battlers only goes to emphasise the importance voters place in those values of egalitarianism. Those involved in electioneering mode know it full well.

Pelican

It is indeed a perverse world where unemployed are treated as social pariahs but if banks behave appallingly they are handed billions of dollars. Where a handful of 'boat people' are branded as criminals while thousands arrive by plane and disappear directly into our cities.

Oil and nuclear receive hefty government subsidies and renewable technology has to beg... so it goes.

Anyone having the temerity so speak out against these irrational values is described as 'envious'.