It appears Sharon doesn't bother to read the feedback her article generated. She certainly hasn't leaped to her own defence.

The problem with all the 'Sharons' is they cannot distinguish between the basic human rights most agree are necessary and fair, and the Cadillac version of their imagination.

Its total hypocrisy that the upholders of the right to Government handouts protest and scream outrage at the idea healthy people under 30 receiving welfare payments (or should I say the Benefit to avoid being politically incorrect) might be expected to repay the taxpayers by doing such a lowly act as Community Service or volunteer work.

Same goes for the students who can't accept its 2014, not 1970.

Whatever happened to the pride or goal of being able to stand on your own two feet?

A thinking donkey Yuyustu?
Not as unusual as the genetically altered creatures of our future, like say a talking horse or a talking dog.
One imagines a scene, where two such animals, a horse and a dog are waiting in a dressing room backstage, waiting for their turn on Ripley's, believe it or not, TV.
Anyhow, in this far flung future time, the dog turns to the horse and asks, why the long face?
To which the horse rears back, and exclaims, holy horse manure, a talking dog!
And if you think that's way out there, it pales into insignificance Yuyustu, in comparison, beside the man, who can read the mind of a donkey?
[Personally, I'll warrant it all about Jack or Jill?]
Well, now we know why he works like a horse!
Whip crack away!
Cheers, Rhrosty.

Sbr108,
You mean Liberty? Oh that went out of fashion in the 1940's, "rights" are it's replacement.
The state takes away our liberty and constrains us within a box, Sharon Beder and her sympathisers are just asking if they might have a bigger box.

'When those unborn babies start protesting in the streets and demanding their rights then they will be heard and taken seriously. Until then I prefer to concentrate on the rights of actual living people.

Mikk shows his ignorance, total lack of compassion and hyprocrisy.

Sharon Beder, you mention the right to free education in your opening paragraph yet I can't see any reference to Article 26 of the UDHR anywhere in your opinion piece. 26.1 says this:

"Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit."

As far as I know the elementary and fundamental stages of education are free in this country so how is the Abbott government interfering with the right as described above for the purpose of balancing the budget?