Dear Belly,

I think there is a lot more we need to know to ascertain the true lie of the land.

What I think is certainly unsustainable is keeping the 7 tax cuts delivered by the Howard government and the further 2 tax cuts given by the Rudd/Gillard governments. A long while ago we decided as a nation that we would be a workable welfare state. Pensions, Medicare, parenting payments etc were all part of what we considered necessary for a humane and just society. This obviously comes at a cost but we appeared prepared to pay for it.

Now we seem to be seeing a lot more 'I'm alright Jack so stuff you'. Those with large superannuation stocks can't see why their earnings shouldn't be taxed to support those who never had the means nor opportunity to accumulate such wealth. Superannuation companies now such literally billions of dollars out of our economy in fees and commission, monies that use to go into the common weal to support our aged into their retirement.

Remember the promises of Super. It was to fix the perceived shortfall in revenue required to look after our aged. The question we should be asking is why on earth hasn't it?

We have allowed big financial corporations to change the way we talk about welfare. Perhaps we need to own the conversation once again.

Given that at least half of those who "work" produce either nothing, or nothing of real value - yet wonder of wonders, nobody starves, surely carrying on our back those who are not formally employed is not a serious burden on society.

On the contrary: those who are not formally employed receive only a fraction of the income of those who are employed but not produce any real good. By staying at home, we overall also save the costs of their commuting to work, as well as their office space, air-conditioning and other work-expenses.

The challenge is how to have more people share in the production of real and wholesome goods and services, rather than to increase the circles of those pretending (or self-deceiving) to be productive.

We should start with those who take much and give back nothing (or even first, with those whose employment produces negative outcomes) rather than with those who take little and give back nothing (or nothing of formal recognition).

< This country knows its future, just with the weight of soon to be pensioners from those like me Baby boomers is creating difficulty's. >

Don't tar all us baby boomers with the same brush as you. Most of us are not responsible for your difficulties. Most of us actually did productive work, saved a bit for our later lives and gave you the podium you now stand on to denigrate the rest of us!

You and that hive of scum and villainy you support blew all our hard earned wealth into the never never and now you want to claim we are a difficulty? You've got a god damn hide!

Take away the rights of pea brains like you and your lot to give out free stuff with moneys that never belonged to you in order to buy votes and the problem is solved. You could also stop importing an ever increasing army of freeshitters from far way lands that only disrupt our capacity to thrive and prosper and again, afford you a greater vote count. You're a fraud!

I do not have a solution and I think it will take the wisdom of Solomon
to come up with a solution.
Everything will become local and the solution might well be more
community orientated.

Raw Mustard your comment informs me of your true inability to understand.
The Goldilocks welfare system is badly needed.
As both sides dig in and the very left screams at me believe me things are not as uncompetitive as Banjo thinks.
Rechtub mate, please not food tickets we are better than that much better.
However reform is under way Labor cut deeply in to single parents and the left screamed.
Abbott intends to cut deeply and every one will scream.
Well his baby bonus scheme will confront him forever.

Australia needs reform we need true caring welfare to remain but we, those opposed to change risk the3 whole system being lost.
True work true wages and true work for the dole or no dole.
Hold your breath tell me how evil I am.
But in the end we have a seeming never changing base of about 4% long term unemployed, whys hould we subsidize third generation W A S P welfare?
We in doing that *take from the true needy*
A return on welfare can be found.
Superannuation do we all think it is a crime to self fund retirement?
Why not no tax on supper but no welfare in retirement, *some clear hundreds of thousands even millions is less pensions worth less super tax?
Who of us can not come up with a thought on how to deliver welfare in a cost effective way.
This Nation needs to try to keep our welfare but if it refuses to confront the need for change we risk it all

Superannuation do we all think it is a crime to self fund retirement?
Belly,
It's no crime to self-fund. It is only a crime in the Public Service where payments are topped up heavily & some Public Servants apparently don't have to contribute anything, the taxpayers fund it for them.