Did I touch a raw nerve with you Indy, therefore the name calling. There are millions in the world who at the end of their productive working life receive no 'aged welfare' from government, their governments can't afford it. They have to rely on charity or family or begging for support, that was once the case in our own society. The truth is taxpayers today have no economic obligation to support the non productive, but most consider there is a moral obligation as a caring supportive society to do so. There is enough tax revenue, and enough available within the means of government to support those of age who can no longer support themselves adequately. Indy to rationalise his dependence on welfare has invented a 'magic pot' that according to him, he contributed to throughout his working life, no matter how short that was, no such 'magic pot' ever existed. Any tax paid back in the day was used in the day, governments saving for the future was never a consideration. Today we simply borrow on top of taxation to finance today, hence a trillion dollars of national debt. Australia has become a 'debtor nation'.

As the population grows older and more dependent on government support, and the tax revenue reduces relative to those needs, and given there are other competing needs and wants for taxpayer dollars, and a general desire for lower taxes, where will the money come from to meet the requirements non self sufficient elderly in society.

Dear Paul,

«The elderly will be an ever increasing percentage of the population»

Not "ever", just over a few generations, hopefully only 3-4 generations until population drops drastically and stabilises at much lower levels. This is an inevitable correctional crisis resulting from overpopulation and any crisis implies a degree of pain.

There are no painless solutions, but here are a few things that could mitigate the pain:

1. Move workers from non-productive paper-shuffling jobs into essential production and aged-care. Any cut in governmental regulation and red-tape will free hoards of lawyers, accountants and other uselesses from the compliance-sector into useful work. Same for the advertising industry: make advertising unprofitable by stopping to recognise advertising expenses as tax-deductible.

2. Send all non-violent prisoners to work in aged/disability-care instead (this will also free up many of their jailers).

3. Allow temporary carer-visas for potential aged-care workers from 3rd-world countries (especially the Philippines), who will very happily stay with an elderly person at their home, caring for them 24/7 (or 24/6) in order to feed their families back home. Philippine people are known to be naturally caring and loyal and are generally only interested in work, not migration.

4. As population reduces and procreation is discouraged, there will be no need for new homes and infrastructure, freeing up most builders. There will be plenty of existing houses for everyone and all that will be needed is maintenance work. With fewer children, fewer schools will remain, which can also free up many teachers.

5. Make it unprofitable to produce (or import) electrical/mechanical products that aren't likely to last for at least 20 years, by stopping to recognise their production-inputs as tax-deductions.

6. Cancel the Christmas shopping culture. Neither the young nor the old need these "gifts", which pressures them to produce and throw away more unnecessary goods.

Did I touch a raw nerve with you Indy, therefore the name calling.
Paul1405,
Hinting at your character is a long way from name calling. I just shudder to think that characters such as you are being fostered by the Public Service unions courtesy via the Peter Principle !

Hi Yuyutsu,

Good ideas need implementation. But often "radical" changes proposed require an attitudinal change from society as a whole. In my opinion social support for the elderly is now at its zenith, and unless conditions change, that support will decline into the future as the proportion requiring support increases. The Aged Care Royal Commission highlighted systemic problems within the aged care sector.

Hi Indy,

Calling someone a "git" is name calling. I though your nonsense about the public service was just you being stupid, but now I realise you actually believe your own delusional crap.

your nonsense about the public service
Paul1405,
Again, as per your usual you're deflecting from the real issue & twist words. It's not the Public service as such that I'm drawing attention to, only the Public Servants such as the category you're rather obviously are part of. The incompetent/corrupt/indifferent who really deserve their own apt description of bureaudroid. Public servants who, unlike their many decent & conscientious colleagues, are simply failing in their daily duties & therefore failing those who need help the most. Current affair shows etc are hardly ever without without a case involving some bureaucratic failing.
Everyone can make mistakes but when it comes to perpetual mismanagement condoned by the relevant unions then I don't think such bureaucrats should allowed to be so defensive of their incompetence & remain in their positions & continue to do great economic & social harm !

Dear Paul,

Yes, some of my suggestions are radical and would require more time and pain before understood by society, but how about my 3rd point to allow temporary carer-visas for potential aged-care workers from 3rd-world countries, thus allowing the elderly with savings (and/or private insurance) to support themselves and be cared for in their own homes in their final years? It cannot be that radical because other countries already have this.