Rehctub:” It's sad to think one has the option to waste their potential savings, and get supported, while those who save, get screwed. Is that not back to front thinking, or what.”

Similar to how you pointed out once that people who choose a good spot to build/buy a house now pay stupid amounts in rates. It is back to front and grossly unfair.

“Now, assuming they receive $450 per fortnight, I must admit, I don't know. Now they can withdraw say $40 in cash from an ATM and that's it. Then, when a purchase is made the recipient of that sale must keep a receipt for those goods in case of an audit. Perhaps they can be sent them in with their BAS. But that's messy.”

I think it would establish a really interesting black grocery market where the ‘haves’ buy items cheaply off the ‘havenots’ who want the cash. Really this is looking for a solution back to front, treating the symptoms instead of the original cause.

So we have to go back to children and what they are taught about supporting themselves and being part of a successful community? Oh good lord… I have no idea how I’d define success.

Leap babe, I wish I could add tone to what I write but I am joking about camps in deserts. I did spend time on a benefit raising children and refused to make use of daycare and look for a job. :P

Quantum, unlike it appears you do, I don't dislike anyone.

I do however dislike some behaviour, & despise those who behave that way.

So how I feel about people is entirely up to them. Do your share, & pay your way to the best of your ability, & you'll have my full respect. I'll quite happily give you a hand, in the short term, if you are genuine.

We have quite a few around here so attached to the public teat that only surgery would get them off it. Many of these like a bit of cash in hand, to boost the welfare cash. Many of them have the hide to get annoyed when their moonlighting is reported to centrelink.

Tell me quantum, what do you think we should do about the habitual offenders in this group?

Hi Hasbeen,

"So how I feel about people is entirely up to them. Do your share, & pay your way to the best of your ability, & you'll have my full respect. I'll quite happily give you a hand, in the short term, if you are genuine."

Right on ! As long as people are able-bodied, then if they expect payment, it should be in return for effort.

Of course, I'm sure you would agree that nobody has to work if they don't want to. Nobody, none of us. And nobody has the duty to financially support us either if there is work around, AND if we are able-bodied.

If we don't like doing labouring or process-work, then we can enrol TODAY in courses to lift our skills: if we study full-time, we will most likely get fortnightly study grant payments from the government, i.e. from the taxpayer. And of course, if we have half a brain and if we are serious, not just playing around, we will gear our study towards the sorts of jobs that might be available, and that we might like to do. Onward and upward.

QED

Jewely and Co

"Leap babe, I wish I could add tone to what I write but I am joking about camps in deserts. I did spend time on a benefit raising children and refused to make use of daycare and look for a job. :P"

Yes I know, and most spend some of there live's revolving in and out of Centre-links doors. See that's just the point. like Hasbeen, he may of not needed it in his life, and while some sit on there high hill and command, life as you may know, is very SIMULAR to the game of snakes and ladders, and like how I've pointed out, for the long-term unemployed, Sue has the best so far.

Iam a carer and look after someone with an epileptic disorder that requires attention around the clock. To see this person on a good day or at the right time of day to be more precise, you would call fraud at first glance strait away, however, as you know, Centre-link DONT come to these conclusions lightly.

Hasbeen...you said the words of a true, and proud Australian; and your generosity and good understanding of whats right, true and the Australian way, is always commendable in any mans language.

Thankyou.

Continued

"We have quite a few around here so attached to the public teat that only surgery would get them off it. Many of these like a bit of cash in hand, to boost the welfare cash. Many of them have the hide to get annoyed when their moonlighting is reported to centre-link."

Hasbeen, the rich and well off like "moonlighting" on taxpayers money just the same. But in the majority, most people do the right thing.

Seen any of the upper levels paying there fair amount of tax lately.....I can pull up some links for you, if you like:) I suggest you all read the thread again, and pay close attention about the one,s that and never will, have the chance to hit the workforce. I know how much I miss it........ and given that between BHP...tec-collage...and my own collections of endless certificates of this and that......and I think you get the picture.

And Loudmouth, mate! not even the NASA,s space program would knock me back:) See, just when you thought you knew some-one:)

LEAP

What is truly worrying about the welfare debate is that that the rabble of the radical right of the Liberal National Party are attempting to link welfare recipients, to boat people to jobs, in a sort of pseudo racism, extending their idea's about teaching aboriginals how to spend their money, into the mainstream, and stimulated with a bit of class consciousness, served cold, and in the absence of humanity.

Makes me embarrassed to be Australian. Never once have the working poor, been a consideration in this discussion. All the little people, those without actual opportunity through lack of skills, education, aptitude, or born into social or economic social disadvantage etc, but with a job. All those people who haven't had a real wage rise commensurate with the rate of inflation since Howard abolished wage indexation in 96.

If you are unemployed in Australia today you are headed for poor health outcomes, (both mental and physical), limited opportunities, suffer from a lack of social inter-reaction and even end up homeless. That is the facts.

There is a school of thought that suggests that some 4.5% of the population, are in effect un-employable.
Unemployment is not easy, in fact it is a hell of a life.

We can hardly let them starve, as suggested by Lenin and Marx, looking down from our lofty perch,
if we are to consider ourselves to be civilised.