Pericles, from what you are saying, if there are not many jobs to be had, then perhaps it's unwise to continue populating the country, with the expectation that someone else will provide the funding.

As for comparing a sick, unemployed, or even a carer to a worker who has paid tax, sorry, we will have to agree to disagree, as I see a huge difference.

Now back to retirement age. It has been suggested that if a worker, on a basic wage, works their whole life, then receives the pension from age 65 to 85, the amount drawn from that pension will be more than the total income taxes paid throughout their working life. That's food for thoiught hey!

Only if you look at it superficially rehctub. It is the sort of thing some say in order to put down the contribution of the oldies.

A fair comparison would be in what would their contribution have paid for in the day.

In other words, how many miles of highway would the taxes of the pensioner have funded during their working life, & how many miles, [or perhaps inches] would their pensions be able to fund.

Hasbeen & Rehctub;
The problem with gold is that if things got really tough no one would
have any money that could be trusted to exchange for your bar of gold.
So it implies that you expect a recovery to a business as usual regime.
You cannot eat your gold and no one else has enough of what you want
and they do not want gold anyway.

It is all a bit of a bind isn't it ?

That is why I want to read The Collapse of Complex Societies as I think
it is going to tell me that a complex society like ours is so reliant
on so many different things that it would collapse very fast.

Read the last sentence in the following article music to my ears, if they were still here the budget would be much worse of.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/hard-line-on-boats-paying-off-morrison/story-fni0xqi3-1226896710647

NO people-smuggling venture had succeeded in landing asylum seekers on Australia for more than four months, the government says.

In the latest update on Operation Sovereign Borders, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday that vigorous border protection activities was deterring illegal boat arrivals, even into the post-monsoon period when weather conditions usually improve.

Mr Morrison said the practice of turning back unauthorised boats remained in effect.

"Anyone seeking to enter Australia illegally by boat will be faced with the same policies those who previously attempted illegal entry met," he said in a statement.

Mr Morrison said no one had reached Australia since December 19 and that continued this month. But 3351 on 47 boats arrived in April 2013 under the former Labor government.

The latest Operation Sovereign Borders operational update says there are now 1281 in the processing centre on Manus Island and 1177 on Nauru, making a total of 2458.

Another 1405 remain on Christmas Island. During the last week, eight asylum seekers were transferred to Nauru.

Seven unauthorised maritime arrival transferees were voluntarily returned to Iran.

Since Operation Sovereign Borders started on September 18, 220 asylum seekers have voluntarily returned to their home countries.

Yes Phillip, makes you wonder if someone from the Rudd Gillard
Team was on the take, because although I thought Tony and his team could stop the boats, I didn't expect such a quick turnaround.

Perhaps it had some connection with their (labor's) obsession with the UN .

Either way, few people will forget how the situation was when Howard departed, how bad things became through Rudds doing, and now how easily fixed the multi billion dollar tax drain was for Abbott and Co. Except of cause for the do gooder bleeding heart brigade. But who cares about them anyway.

18,220 returned that is amazing just think how bad the budget would be if they were still here.

It also goes to show that lots that labor assessed as legitimate were more than likely scamming economic invaders.

I can understand more now why it was kept so secret if not the blood sucking lawyers would be tripping over themselves to provide appeals up to the high court all at taxpayer expense of course to keep them here.