The original post demonstrates a misunderstanding of the issue.

"It has been revealed that 42.2% of families receive more in welfare than they pay in taxes, ALMOST HALF"

The point is that 42% of *taxpayers* are not actually paying tax, because they're getting back more than they pay out in various kinds of welfare such as Family Tax Benefits, private health insurance rebates, childcare rebates and so on. The attitudes, actions and lifestyles of people on the dole has nothing to do with it.

The point of the exercise was that 48% of taxpayers are propping up the lifestyles of the 42% who consider themselves to be middle class, working, taxpayers, but are not, in fact, paying tax. Roughly half of the people who consider themselves to be contributing to the nation as taxpayers owe their middle class lifestyles to welfare. They just don't call it welfare.

A more transparent system would cut out tax for the 42% altogether and hand out whatever they get on top. You'd save the costs of processing all that churn and do away with the false assumption that these people are taxpayers

But chainsmoker, as I understand it they would still be taxpayers, just not income-tax payers. There are many other ways of extracting taxes: GST, fuel alcohol and tobacco excises, capital gains tax, stamp duties etc.

The churn will never be removed, no matter what good arguments are against it. Isn't the governments' credit rating affected by the amount of income (ie cash flow), so that the higher the better? It also leaves open the possibility of removing or reducing these benefits later when they are considered 'unnecessary' or they just want some more cash for something else.

Butcher you have done it again.
Zero need exists for me to get my bottom kicked by agreeing with you but some of what you say is right.
Born a communist I evolved into a Socialist.
And am still firmly left of center, proud of it too.
But we splatter welfare all over the place.
We must one day ask can we do better.
We can if we control waste fraud and pure theft.
My preferred outcome is that pensioners get enough to live a life worth living.
Ten thousand story's exist about fraud.
My own nephew lay about that he was got out of bed at 11 am never wanted a job never had one I fed him you did too the dole.
Back yard car repairs bringing in near the same amount as the dole all tax free.
Is it so wrong that a socially aware person wants more for those who need it but less for those who will not work?
C J Morgan every election I man a red neck booth, the same large family troop in nose to tail all have a lifetime on the dole.
They take only national party forms.
And return home to continue to miss use welfare.

All true Bugsy, but I was responding to the suggestion that 'welfare' still means unworthy dole bludgers when it quite clearly applies to a lot of people who consider themselves to be welfare independent, worthy taxpayers.

Can't say I've ever heard anyone commend unemployed welfare recipients for contributing their share of tax in the form of GST, even though the stereotypical dole bludger pays a fortune in tax via massive alcohol and cigarette consumption.

Divorce Doctor......hahahaha that's gold.

Take a pill RAMBO, you're off beat again. The fund I am reffering to is to hold taxes.

Boy it's not to hard to see who the 'UNDER-ACHIEVERS' are!

As for income tax, I agree that there should be no such thing.

Replace it with a transaction tax of say 2%, make us a 'cashless society' so we only use cards to pay for things and all of a sudden you have no black money. Try buying and selling drugs without cash!

Now if that's not a 'user pays' system then what is?

Now if you loosers out there are quite content sitting on your butt while the rest of us fund your existance then go for it. It's a pleasure spending more on ones dinner than you fools fleece in a fortnight. May you wollow in your self-induced pathetic existance you call living!

No offence to those who are actively seeking work or doing the right thing but unfortunately it is these types who tarnish your reputation. I have no beef with you guys.

Went fishing in the early hours of this morning before going to WORK. Caught one Cj and a RAMBO, not bad hey!

Luv ya work guys!