Belly, casualization of the work force is curtiousy of the previous labor government.

As for a paid sick day/holiday, that's what the loading is for, but you already know that, but hey, why let the truth get in the way of a good story.

As for food stamps, I dont supper these, never have, never will.

Do you understand that this time!

People who don't waste welfare would have few issues with quarantining it

It's the blugers and wasters that have a problem with it.

Dear Belly,

Yes, I express the nice person's view. I think it is also the realistic person's view. There will always be some who rort the system whatever system there is. Focussing attention on those who rort the welfare system rouses people to ignore the good things that Labor does and encourages them to support the reactionaries.

Meanwhile the rorting of the system by banks, advertising agencies, pols, manufacturers, the mining industries and other experts at rorting gets ignored.

Sears Roebuck in the United States had a problem with employee theft. They studied the problem and the cost of the security system to fix it. The security system would have cost bigger bucks than the employee theft. Since Sears is sensibly interested in making money they opted for letting matters continue as it was.

I feel the same thing is true for the welfare rorts. It would cost more money to fix it then it would save by fixing it. Meanwhile attention is diverted from the big rorters in our society.

*Belly* I wanted you to know, as you may expect, that I am very pleased that your ALP has indicated its intent to release the Indonesian children from unlawful and unconscionable detention. There remains in my view a lot more to be done in this area generally but it is a step in the right direction.

..

As for this thread, I do wish that some of you would step up from unsubstantiated, unfounded opinion to substantiated and well informed opinion and fact. For example, if, as some of you are, of the opinion that there is rorting, where is your evidence? How exactly is the system being rorted and what changes would you put in place, say to the Social Security Act, would you put in place to rectify the situation?

..

In the absence of so called welfare, it is likely that we would end up with far more crime, far more social ills, far more medical tragedies and even children begging on the street, amongst other things. The cost of that of course is likely to far outweigh the cost of welfare.

..

I am opposed to racial discrimination thus if you want to continue to micro manage the BlakFellas, then in my view you must also do it to everyone else.

..

I would like to see the welfare to work system expanded, so it becomes a real ladder to address educational deficits from the legal/guvment system of Australia at one end, to micro financial management at the other, and constructed such so that it does not end up being a second class work force.

..

I have a person in my occasional care with a disability, and so as to inject a bit of substance into this debate I will put up their fortnightly budget into this debate to provide something additional for people so desiring to cut their teeth on.

BUDGET of Mrs X as @ 13 April 2012:

($AU15,000 per year income for "Family Tax Benefit" purposes - the Disability Support Pension is a tax free pension though she is still required to lodge a tax return.)

FORTNIGHTLY INCOME: ($AU)

1. D.S.P. $524.10 (partnered rate)
2. Pension supplement $45.40

less Centrelink debt: $20:00 (now subject to ongoing review)

3. F.T.B. part A $164.64
4. F.T.B. part B $ 42.98

TOTAL: $757.12

FORTNIGHTLY EXPENSES:

1. Credit card debt $ 20:00 (negotiated by the Ombudsman)
2. Credit card debt $ 20:00 (negotiated by the Ombudsman)
3. Bank account fees $ 5:00
4. Personal loan $ 50:00
4. Kitchen $200:00
5. Petrol $ 50:00
6. Rent $100:00
7. MediBank $ 91.54
8. Mobile phone $ 15:00
9. Pocket money $100:00

SAVINGS $155:58

Additional variable expenses (which usually reduce her savings to zip)

Primary school fees and excursions, chemist, clothing, car rego, car maintenance (the worst of the expenses and reason for the personal loan,) driver's license, parking fees, specialist medical ( very limited access)

She lives in the home. (undesirable but necessary)
She has an honourable bulk billing G.P. and consumes heavily.
She mostly shops at Op shops
She cooks from scratch and very rarely eats out, except regular picnics with family and friends.

ASSETS:

1. Personal $2,250
2. Car $3,500

LIABILITIES:

1. Centrelink debt $ 430:64 (originally a $2,321:29 overpayment)
2. Credit card $3,740:00 (originally $4,800)
3. Credit card $3,740:00 (originally $4,800)
4. Personal loan $1,350:00 (originally $1,500 - int free)

..

Points to consider is that she is fortunate to be able to live in the family home. Not all people in her circumstances do.

..

Comments?

Rechtub pleased to hear you do not eat food stamps.
Dream On pleased we can communicate.
Davidf, well I admire your heart, if not thought patterns.
I would bet not one of you has suffered as a child as I have.
The experience helped me! always bought up as a WASP work was a plank in my home education, always work, be proud of your work, be a needed and wanted worker.
That childhood bought me my home, no castle but my pride, it told me never to go hungry, never to let another,if I could help it be so.
Both extremes are of little use in this debate, both stand in the way of progress, not all change needs to be feared.
Rechtub looks for parasites every place.
Other concentrate on the true victims,who WE ALL THIEVE FROM, by ignoring the fraudsters!
Australian figures say half of one percent of the whole welfare budget is fraud,England 2%
We are duty bound to help the needy and starve the greedy.
Or see both suffer as the Rechtub like Conservatives put a bull dozer in to every one on welfare.
The Draw back is on the drawing board!

Welfare is not provided by government, it is administered by government, but provided by the tax payer.

Surely the tax payer, as a bare Mimium, is entitled to have measures that minimize the waste of this limited resourse.

I used to see customers turn up with vinies food vouchers, yet have a carton of smokes and a slab in their trolley, obviously paid for by welfare.

I say this because they would have not been provided with the food voucher if they were not seen as needy.

I would often see these same people in the pub, playing the pokies while I was doing deliveries.

All paid for by the tax payer.

I used to wonder what the kids ate, because after all, if they had no kids, they would get minimum welfare.

On the other hand, I had a great young bloke, a single dad, who bought a meat pack every week.

He always had his three kids with him, they used to chat to me and he was obviously trying hard to raise him family with the limited funds he had.

I used to wonder that, if he struggled, how did the families get on that wasted their welfare on smokes, grog and gambling.

Sorry, THE KIDS WELFARE!

Welfare has been a farce for as long as I can remember.

I remember when I left school, aged 16.

I went on the dole (for three weeks) no questions asked.

I can remember thinking, how good is this, not only don't I have to get out of bed, but I get paid to do nothing. Fortunately, my parents had other ideas.

The fact is we are in trouble with regards to tax revenues and welfare is just one of the areas that is straining the cookie jar, so it makes more sense now that ever, to stop the waste, so this limited resourse can assist more of the needy that it was intended for.

A debit card system will go a long way towards stopping this waste.