"Working families" is a warm and fuzzy motherhood phrase that conjures up an image of dad in stable full time work and mum working part time during school hours so she is available for the school age children when they get home from school.

The reality of the Australian social landscape is a little bit different.

- a third of australians live alone
- a third of australian workers are underemployed
- a fifth of australian children are living with households where no adult works
- a fifth or is it a third of australian children are living in single parent households

A close inspection of the policies developed to support "working families" shows the discriminatory nature of policies that are applicaable to only a third of the voters.

However policies for "working families" are infinitely preferable to hidden subsidies to big end of town like Gunns - tax breaks & very cheap wood, ABC Learning - child care rebate, Manildra Group - ethanol