@snake, Monday, 2 June 2014 11:00:56 AM

Good post.

The elephant in the room is the hugely expensive victim industry created by the Gough Whitlam Labor government years ago. The victim industry sucks long and greedily from the federal budget in all manner of ways, direct and indirect.

There are thousands of government and NGO bureaucrats, and private professionals who get their daily bread from the new victim industries spawned by the Whitlam government. It has been a growth industry since and sucks from the money available for the more traditional government welfare programs such as for elderly, mental health and so on.

If our governments and big business drive local
industries and production out of the country
and negotiate cheap imports into the country
how can we expect the population to be productive
and employed? If the governments protected the
economy of the nation and industry was encouraged
to stay within the country - there would be more
jobs for everyone. We need to maintain tariffs
on certain products to protect our local industries.
Unfortunately in recent years under governments of
both persuasions this has not been done.

As for dole bludgers?
Of course there are people who abuse the system.
There always will be. However,
as I understand it - welfare is such a small percentage of
the federal budget yet no one complains about the "handouts"
given to the rich in the form of tax cuts and other benefits.

Socialism/capitalism? Both systems have their flaws.
Where is the success of capitalism in Africa, Asia, Latin
America?

Winston Churchill summed things up rather well :

"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing
of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the
equal sharing of miseries."

I'm sure some on here are so convinced by their own delusions about massive handouts being freely given to the undeserving that no amount of factual argument will convince them otherwise. To justify their thinking, these conservatives had convinced themselves totally that abuse of the system is so widespread and the system so intrinsically corrupt that the only reasonable avenue of recourse is to shut the whole thing down. What would they have the real victims do? Unfortunately, fend for themselves as best they can.

Queensland's deficit will rise to $2.27 billion in the next financial year, almost four times the mid-year forecast, however Premier Campbell Newman maintains the state will recover quickly.

The blowout, outlined in the LNP government's third budget tomorrow, is already hurting consumer confidence, industry and business groups say.

Mr Newman says the State Government will turn the deficit around in 12 months.

"2015-2016 show mostly definitely we will be in surplus that year, and indeed subsequent years after that as well," he said.

More bad news for Bazz

Snake, I have said that for years. People are very quick to judge CEO's and the like, but forget the Andrwpew Bogarts of the world, as they secure their $37 million deals simply for playing basket ball.

If that's not an arse about, tall poppy attitude, what is! Besides, these Aussie sporting/movie stars often blood their careers here in Oz, then take their taxes off shore.

But no, let's pick on the likes of Gina or Allan Joyce as picking on the likes of Hugh Jackman just doesn't have the same appeal.

It's a pity the under achievers don't respect what these people actually do to make their lives livable, because without the subsidies of the high income earners, most would be on the streets.

....No one is excusing dole bludgers, it is unfair to lump everybody in the same tub.

But it the likes of you 579 who is trying to link the two. I'm certainly not.

Then this.....BAZZ says we have entered a period of negative growth. The AU economy is powering along at 3.2 % annual growth. With the downturn of mining manufacturing is coming back, which means interest rates are set to rise.
Wherever Bazz gets his info from. it is certainly not from AU business.

Dream on my friend, as manufacturing is dead and buried, unless of cause we see the min wage drop by about 60%. NOTE! I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT, just before you try to pin that on me, as usual.

As; for the $600 billion, it's my understanding that's what the debt would be should we continue along labors plans. Thankfully we should not get there, because that mob were booted out, along with their unfunded dreams like Gonski and the NDIS.

Foxy....If our governments and big business drive local
industries and production out of the country
and negotiate cheap imports into the country
how can we expect the population to be productive
and employed?

The blame lies with us, the consumer, as we vote with our wallets, not our hearts or minds.

579, QLD will boom, due to CSG royalties.

579 & others, I said we are entering an era of zero growth.
True, Australia & some others are still in positive growth, but only
for particular trade reasons. Those reasons are decling.
Growth is tied to energy and energy is increasing in cost.
The major producers of energy are having difficulty in either preventing
a decline in production or indeed keeping it up.
Note that Mobil, BP & Shell are all suffering falling sales. They just
cannot keep their production up despite having more than doubled their
expenditure on search and development. They are now each spending
in the $Trillions in search and development but are not getting the
results needed. Shell & Mobil are selling assets to enable them to pay dividends.

If that does not tell you what is going on then you are not the sort
of people needed for the future.

Re the $600billion debt, it is just government spending that exceeded
income. Projects like pink batts, NBN, School buildings etc etc etc.
As Barnaby Joyce famously said;
"When you borrow money someone will want it paid back !"

I have never seen a breakdown from where it has been borrowed but I
know that a lot of it is from China, and surprise surprise !
China wants the Trade agreement to allow them to bring Chinese workers
into Australia to work on their projects.

Well what's next ?
How about annexing half of Queensland ?
Well either that or repay all your loans !

Just an extension on annexing Tibet and all the South China Sea.
Who was it that said it was just as important who you borrowed from
as what you borrowed !