There are a few hand outs that I think need changing, so here are my suggestions.

Welfare.
All welfare payments should be paid by way of a debit card.

These debit cards can not be used to purchase excluded goods and or services (to be determined, a couple being cigs and grog, or gambling) which in turn will help curb the waste, as wasted welfare usually means kids missing out.

Welfare includes the dole, sole parent allowance, family payments, child support payments, but nit old age pensions, as most pensioners have paid their dues.

First home owners grant.
I think the grant should be set at $20K and be available to all first home buyers, however, the main change should be that it is a loan, not a gift.

The interest should be imposed by the government and collected by the councils, either monthly, quarterly, or annually via a levy on their rates and should be charged at say 1%, or, charged at 2.5% accumulative should the home owner choose not to pay annual payments.

The conditions should be,
1. The dwelling must remain as the principle place of residence and no income can be derived from the property.
2. No borrowings can be charged against the dwelling before the loan is repaid in full, with interest.
3. The property can not be sold without the loan being repaid in full including interest. A simple covenant can achieve this.

At least this way the grant can be reused many times over, rather than simply gifted to a selected few.

My primary focus is to make better use of tax payers dollars, as there is little doubt that we can continue along the path we are headed.

And no, I am not eligible for any grant.

Thought I would put that in before I get shot down.

SURE..debit..is what money is today..BUT*,,,govt is already too..big.a burden..[not a benificient good..but enslaved to bwankerrs

its not enough they TAX us to death
[thus the need to give SOME;select/elect/people 20,000..for state/council fees levies charges

NOW YOU*..WANT..URSURY.,.on top..
i got another idea

NO..GOVT FEES
no..govt tax
NO URSURY

govt issues its own..money..
set according to meeting THE/peoples need..[in coin][or..CREDIT*..card

beginning..new year
here is how..
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=15786&page=0#274098

So what would all of these gracious steps achieve.
Abbott is planning on downsizing the public service and Butch just added twice as many.

<<All welfare payments should be paid by way of a debit card.>>

Preventing welfare recipients from buying food in open markets where prices are lower, or buying 2nd-hand goods from friends.

If I were thus limited, I would go in front of a supermarket and offer people to do their food-shopping for them: pay for their food with my welfare debit card and receive cash from them when I hand them their shopping bags.

<<The interest should be imposed by the government and collected by the councils>>

Here is another revenue-raising improvement: make this loan compulsory and for a minimum of 30 years, so people must pay it back with interest to the council even if they don't need a loan. This should include people who buy or build their dog's first kennel and first-home buyers who try to cheat and falsely claim that they owned a home before would have their hands chopped or forced into hard-labour, building pyramids for the government.

Oh great idea, so how do you suggest i pay my rent to my private landlord who will only accept cash? will I be able to purchase the wheat for my chickens (that provide us with eggs) from the local farmer who will also only accept cash? This ridiculous idea is no better than the existing scheme that costs about 5000 dollars per recipient to manage - equally flawed and no doubt equally expensive.

I have a BETTER idea. Let us SCRAP the new paid maternity scheme that pays up to 75,000 dollars to selected women for having a baby (blatant discrimination). Let us also SCRAP the ridiculous superannuation scheme and associated benefits paid for life to previous MP's and Senators, most of whom walk out of parliament and into impressively paid work whilst also getting paid this superannuation. Also let us scrap the other welfare payments made to upper class citizens. ADDITIONALLY scrap methods and tax benefits paid to people who rent properties to the less fortunate at ridiculous rental prices.

Great idea rehctub, but I think we should include ALL welfare recipients...just to be fair.

Aged pensioners and disability pensions pull in most of the welfare payments, so they should be the first to be given debit cards and made to give up smokes, alcohol and fast foods cold turkey.

Just think of all the money this Government would save then...