The wasted billions are spread over the whole budget. I don't disagree that we do pay a lot of money out in social security, but i have no answer to this problem. It is a fundamental part of our society and most people see compassion and the maintenance of community health and standard of living as critical to the further development of our communities. I have seen the introduction of mutual obligation and now managed benefits as positive for the improvement of the situation despite the bleeding hearts suggesting it is humiliating. Only 30 years ago just being on the dole was embarrassing, now it is treated like a right.

Wars have been going on ever since and beside a couple of them they have all been avoidable. We love to blame others for the predicament we are in but in the end it has always been our choice. We don't have to go to war(especially considering no one has ever won in Afganistan) The alternative is always to cut these countries out of the loop and have nothing to do with them, no migration, no aid, no trade just put up a wall. This of course goes agains't the globalisation policies that are so strongly advocated by all governments and economists and would have consequences across the whole spectrum of our society, but in the end we need to decide what we want. A good life or one that is asset rich.

<< Our police force is at 'breaking point' and the last thing we need to waste this valuable, under funded resourse on, is public misconduct. >>

Rehctub, our police are certainly stretched, but misconduct still has to be policed. The police arguably weren’t stretched on Palm Island when Doomadgee was arrested over such a trivial issue. I’d argue that his misconduct was extremely minor and that Hurley should definitely not have arrested him in the circumstances.

<< You are all stuck on this 'stimulus plan'. >>

Well I’m not. I mentioned it amongst a bunch of other things. I know that you had made it clear that you were not referring to the stimulus, but as a recent and huge example of the misallocation of public monies, it is highly relevant.

But I otherwise agree fully with you rehctub.

You know, there is another huge aspect to this subject - the thing that I’ve been on about above all else on OLO – continuous rapid population growth and the absurd continuous growth paradigm.

Basically, this means that we have to spend ever more money on infrastructure and services just to stay still – just to be able to provide them for ever more people rather than improve them for current residents. And we’re FAILING to do this!

If Rudd hadn't thrown huge wads of taxpayer's money at stupid vote buying projects, he wouldn't have had to compensate with the mining super tax.

However, that is the problem. Labor is genetically programmed to increase taxes and spending. They can no more be fiscally responsible than a cat can stop chasing mice.

Agree nairbe, we did it 'tough' in the early days of having children but it wasn't really that tough, just meant going without for a short time to enjoy being at home with the kids. The baby bonus is poorly targeted and is nothing more than middle class welfare.

rehctub
In the US there have been a number of tax protestors who have refused to pay tax on constitutional grounds or as a form of protest against government spending in certain areas.

I am not sure how this would fly in Australia and whether our Constitution allows for 'tax protesting' but that is certainly one way to reduce your hard earned money being wasted. Such a clause could open up a can of worms when you think about it, who decides what is waste? Much of it comes down to ideological or personal grievance and often misinformation.

Does give one some pause for thought.

We of course can do absolutely nothing -
store away the money and let the rich pile it
up.

However, If you have it, you use it to fix health,
education, the environment, transport,
take care of the aged, people with disabilities,
and so forth, and inevitably
as is human nature there will be the greedy who
will take advantage of the system and rort it.
It's a vicious circle - some will use it wisely,
others will want to pile it away. And the cycle
continues... Hopefully with time and better education
humans will get wiser and less greedy. What we need
is to put aside our narrow self interests and work
together if there is to be a world for those humans
and other animals who follow us. We can learn to live
with less, but we can't live without the basic
essentials such as health, and other social services.
Still as voters we will get the chance to have a
say in the next election - and we can vote for the
government that we think will provide us with a better
way of life to the one we currently have. We can
give up our health system, we can give up our jobs,
we can give up our schools, roads, transport, what
the heck - we can give up all of our social services -
and the rich can get richer - we admire the Americans,
perhaps we'll eventually become exactly like them.

Therein lies the problem Foxy, people in this country seem to admire the Americans and their way of life. I don't, I think capitalism has caused many of the world's horrendous problems. Anything remotely like a socialist democratic society is an anathema to most Americans. They may be starting to wake up now though, they are broke. God help us if we continue down the road that led them to where they are.

We are losing all our identity, our politicians are more interested in spin and don't care how much money they waste to convince the populace they are doing something worthwhile. They're not.

Out of all the money wasted by the present government what one lasting, value for money, worthwhile result was achieved? I can't see one in NSW. Perhaps other states gained something worthwhile.