Tristan, I absolutely agree with you in everything you said. Well done.

I am 62 years old and provided that Australia does not go broke before I die I could not care less about our clearly worsening economic outlook. It's all about me, me, me, Tristan.

I know that the number of people permanently on Disability pensions has doubled in twenty years, and I know that is really susso but I don't care. They are fellow bludgers and if I scratch their backs, they will scratch mine. We all know that all we have to do is to vote Labor and Labor will tax, spend and borrow to buy our votes until like Portugal, Spain, and Greece, the bailiff's arrive and take our credit card off us.

Labor will win the next election because there are too many people who are, or will soon have, their snouts and front trotters in the taxpayer's trough. We have to get rid of Abbot because we have a vested interest to keep the money flowing into our pockets. It will be your kids, Tristan, who will end up with the bill but I will be in Hell with Shocky, Hasbeen and Spindoc, so why should I care?

so why should I care?
Lego,
Wow, you could be Australian of the year!

‘morning Tristan,

Your last line is very telling;

<< In the meantime progressive social movements need to coalesce and prepare for the fight of their lives. >> “Their” lives?

We all know just how much trouble you are in. All you have to do is check the number of articles and threads on OLO that are squawking progressive mantra’s.

I agree, the progressive social movement must be saved because it’s more important to you than the “vulnerable” you claim to represent. They are simply a vehicle for your political ideology.

Let me tell you what was missing from your article, it was any genuine compassion for social justice and equity. All you actually offered was a political rant directed at the government.

No alternatives, no policies, no analysis, no balance, no concern whatsoever and most of all, absolutely no concern for the future generations that will otherwise be paying for progressive incompetence, because everything you said was political.

You are right though, the progressives are fighting for their lives and doing it in such a way that you are moving further and further away from mainstream Australia. That’s fine by me as I’m reminded of Napoleon’s words, “never interrupt your enemy whilst they are making mistakes”.

You still have a strong following though, many university students, humanities academia, Fairfax, The Guardian, the Conversation, GetUp, the ABC, the Greens, trade union officials and the progressive political elites. What a delightful “self referential network” that lot are.

Mm! How all that “support” looking Tristan?

All these supporters are doing for you at the moment, is to highlight to middle Australia just what a bunch of malcontents progressives are.

What you have to decide now is what the new Senators will do in July. Will they vote to retain their six year appointments, very handsome salaries, perks, expenses, privileges, prestige, gold passes and all that lovely pension?

Or will they toss it all in and agree with you?

Dream on Tristan, dream on

Lego talks of a crisis and of 'the country going broke'; But Australian debt is about 12 per cent of GDP compared with 100% in the US and 200% in Japan.

He also talks of the number of people on Disability Pension. But he doesn't go after anyone specific. He may as well ask Andrew Robb if he was faking his depression... Now that would be callous and offensive - but it's essentially what you're driving at.

The new test for people on Disability Pension is that they should be forced to work if they can work only 8 hours a week. That's pretty severe.

But I'm just in favour of the carrot rather than the stick; and upholding the principle 'from each according to ability, to each according to need'. Providing community work at the minimum wage on top of the DSP could get some of these people working... So long as there was flexibility and the appropriate accommodations. eg: For some people the intensity of mental illness comes and goes; sometimes people cannot concentrate or drive; sometimes it's possible to work; sometimes it's not.

You talk of 'people with snouts in the trough'. But no talk of massive superannuation concessions; Private Health Insurance subsidies for the rich; Parental Leave for millionaires; MPs 'wage pause' of only one year; The fact we have one of the highest paid executives in the world... And no mention of infrastructure privatisation which is 'a license to print money' fleecing the public. (both ALP and the Libs guilty on that point)

You say you're 62. Do you want to work to 70? Do you have arthritis? Were you looking forward to retiring after paying taxes all your life? And yet you want to go after the disabled rather than look at what Abbott is doing...

And that's before we even talk about doubling or tripling university fees; with a massive hike in interest; And students whose working life is interrupted; who don't finish their degrees; acquire a less-well-paying job - well they're looking at a lifetime debt...

There's nothing that's looks more ME, ME, ME, than a bloated billionaire, with entirely unearned inherited wealth, telling the rest of us, WE have to work much harder for a lot less!
You guys really Hiss me right off.
The problems with the lessons of history, the tea party types and blame shifters among us, never ever learn them?
The only trick we need to learn is how to create a much bigger economic pie, and then just slice out larger shares for everyone!
And it's just not that hard!
All we need is cheaper tax, and just by just eliminating all the parasites who earn their income from costly complexity, or broker barons/middleman profit demanding, double handling.
And then build cheaper than coal thorium rectors, as income earning, (self funding) projects for the national budget!
Build that and a peeled to the bone tax system and they will come, as millions of self funded retirees, high tech companies, and the 95% of corporate Australia, that have relocated offshore, just to save tax!
What we need is compelling reasons for them to return!
After all, 50% of something, is always going to look a lot better than the 100% of nothing we get now, as tax from these offshore corporations; some with budgets bigger than many sovereign nations!
Stop squabbling over the spoils of economic defeat/sold down the river economic sovereignty, and just get on with winning for a change!
And wouldn't that make a nice change, than fight in the flamin lifeboat, we call Australia. [Only around 2% of welfare recipients are those Hasbeen righteously rails against! The other 98% don't deserve to be asked to carry the blame!]
Too much of that self defeating nonsense and all we will accomplish, is to sink lifeboat Australia!
It's WE against the world, not US or THEM against each other!
Get it?
Rhrosty.

‘morning Tristan,

Desperation to make your case is no excuse for your mendacity and obfuscation. You are an educated man and should be capable of making your point without such nonsense.

LEGO told you he was 62, to which you replied << Do you want to work to 70?>>

Utterly irrelevant and you know it.

LEGO, like everyone else will be eligible at 65.

The last ALP government has already legislated to change the pension eligibility age to 67 from 2023.

We will be in good company with other leading nations who already have higher pension eligibility such as Germany 67, Italy 67, Norway 67, Netherlands 67, UK 68 and USA 67.

LEGO will NOT be required to work until he is 70, that comes into effect in 2035 and you damn well know it.

Stop trying to whip up alarm by printing rubbish, you have a responsibility as a professional writer and teacher, you owe much better to intelligent readers.

Cut the Cr*p Tristan.