A very curious thing is happening in the parliament today. The Social Services Legislation Amendment Bill is set to be waved through the House with the support of the Labor opposition. From there it will go to the Senate and quickly become law.
Hooray! The system works. Well, sometimes.
In truth the bill is a grab bag of amendments for old age pensioners, armed service veterans and retirees, many of whom will receive a one off payment for their energy bills ($75 for singles, $150 for couples) while some 95,000 self-funded retirees who lost their part pensions at the beginning of the year will have their pension cards returned to them to assist in the payment of medical bills, pharmaceuticals, council rates and transport costs.
The energy assistance payment was negotiated between the government and Senator Nick Xenophon in order to ensure the Xenophon Team’s support for the government’s tax cuts to business.
Full column here.
Australia, the lucky country, indeed has a most generous Welfare System, Mr Insider, and of course it was the late great Liberal PM Sir Robert Menzies who instigated the Welfare Payment for the unemployed as a Safety Net of course not a way of life. Since then a plethora of Welfare Payments have sprung up that would now choke the proverbial horse. Our Welfare Bill is now accounts for 86% of all Personal income Tax, an amazing and shocking fact. Australia needs Jobs imho to give the young hope and a future. Too often now they are getting Casual Employment and while for some that’s a step to Full Time Employment sadly for many its a permanent situation. Do our current Politicians have any real idea of the way ahead for Australia I ask and imho the answer is “No”. Most are Career Politicians with little or no idea of the workings of even a Small Business. Possibly time for a revolution as we have seen in the USA recently with the election of POTUS Trump!
Australia has one of the most targeted welfare system of all OECD countries and spends a lower % than most. How are you able to walk through life being so FN devoid of knowledge. The only growth in welfare in Australia is the Aged Pension and rightfully the NDIS. People like you, razor and a couple of other numbskulls here are exactly what is wrong with this country. Go to the Us to be closer to the other clowns you sycophantic Fwit.
Whop it up ’em! Make ’em take it.
Bollocks Dismayed, Welfare is raging out of control hence the measures our governments are doing to reign it in both Labor and Liberal dear fellow. Time to take off the “rose coloured glasses” dear chap the poor Taxpayer is being asked to carry way too many these days with the bill headed over the $200 Billion already! Cheers
Now now – thou shalt not abuse your fellow bloggers.
It looks like the prescribed reading of Peppa Pig is not working.
We will have to include a basic course on being pleasant to your fellow man or should I say persons. I will do some research and get back to you.
It will be difficult finding material for your goodself as,in your case of extreme unpleasantedness, the articles will not be written in language that you would understand.
However, for the sake of humanity and those who have to put up with yor vitriol, I will take on this odorous task and report back in due course.
JS all right which part am I incorrect on? Go and look at the budget you will see the only area of growth in welfare is the Aged Pension and the NDIS, unemployment payments are continuing to reduce, Howard and Costello’s family tax benefits are being reduced. It is and has been recognised that Australia has one of the most targeted welfare systems of all OECD countries. As with all the cons since the inception of JTI’s blog you have NO ability to comprehend information that does not fit your already fixed false ideals. That is your problem not mine. It is clear there has been an addition to your family circle. It is a great pity that it may be infected by your ridiculous paranoid take on the world. Hopefully when it grows it will see just how out of touch you are and decide to forgive you for you knew not what you were saying which is abundantly clear. You are not and never have been up to “taking me on” You can make any self serving report you like all you do is to continue to highlight your many many inferiorities starting with you inferiority complex and continuing along to your balanced chip on both shoulders.
Thank-you mate, you’re a legend. I can see the old posts now & I just posted a reply but can’t see that ‘awaiting moderation’ yet.
You’ve come through, albeit in spam. I don’t know how to fix that but will continue to post all comments from you and others that first turn up there. Silly me.
Yes, thanks for sorting that out, Jack. I hate to imagine my erudite posts in spam alongside penis enlargers, moon landing hoaxers and other assorted ephemera. Not to mention my followers missing out on my valued contributions.
I am your devoted follower dear Milton, and like me am sure you are aghast at that Mr Baptiste and his irreverent treatment of NASA’s Moon Landings in the late 60’s and 70’s. Of course if Kimmie was to land on the Moon it would be “real” wouldn’t mmmm Chinese Moon Lander my butt! Penis enlargers you say – dish!
Who needs enemies!
And you dear Henry are the first person I tune into mid morning to find out the lay of the land. I recognise a realist and pragmatist when I see or read one. Alas our favourite wag, Jean is a conflicted utopian/dystopian type with aggravated sky is falling, megalomania syndrome. Personally I think he should be made to go on the excursions his community provide. Get out more son, I say. And to think old mate imagines that Nixon could dupe the world with moon landings but couldn’t manage the eavesdropping at the Watergate Hotel!?
And if you’ve been watching Question Time, isn’t florid Barnaby (whom I like) a character, or is it caricature, with his facial expressions? I noticed him checking out Julie Bishops rear this afternoon, or perhaps it was the stitching on her garb.
Milton, you are sometimes funny, well ok often, and sometimes over the moon, but I gotta tell you mate you are not penis enlarging at any time of the day or night.
Now if you want a link for that, oh no that wouldn’t do.
I can’t for life of me see how Milton ended up in the spam folder! Much… 🙂
Haven’t you got a foreign trip to go on Trivalve? Deepest, darkest Africa… Queanbeyan?
How was the holiday Bela?
Quite wonderful thanks JS. A lot of firsts for this girl like snow & ice, a chopper flight from Banff over the Rockies, walking on glaciers & breathtaking scenery all around but it was in the woods with bears, eagles, moose, ravens & even squirrels that I loved. The ultimate was three hours of killer whale pods surrounding our zodiac that reduced me to tears with their huge black dorsal fins raised-up straight & proud because they are wild & free, unlike captive orcas stolen from their families whose fins have just collapsed.
Alaska was very beautiful also. And freezing!
My best JS, Bella
Must have cost you a bomb Bella!
Testing
Death duties/inheritance taxes and the like are nothing more than monstrous outrages perpetrated by cowardly governments who wait in ambush until hard working folk pop their clogs before their legal legacy is plundered.
Makes me puke!
Bollocks. Plundering the plunderers is a splendid idea! Theres too many idlers and wastrels marking time waiting for the freebies when the old codgers sink the slipper into the bucket. Half of the world’s problems stem from the untalented influence of inheritors of wealth gleaned or stolen from the sweat of the brow of the peasants or factory workers.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarcho_Capitalism/comments/1g00ok/property_is_theft_property_is_freedom_property_is/
The ol’ politics of envy meme, Jean?!
Bollocks Milton. I am well happy with my situation but that tedious “politics of envy” drivel is just a sad excuse for the ungrateful self serving lucky who don’t have the guts to come straight out and admit they couldn’t care less about the strugglers.
Actually JB, I am all for helping those who have tried, want to work hard and earn a living but, due to circumstances beyond their control cannot.
As to the fit, beer swilling, drug taking, gambling addicted, lazy lay abouts who see the taxes of those who work as a means to their life style – they can do compulsory farm laboring like picking fruit and leave my accumulated wealth alone.
And it is the politics of envy.
JS the governments own figures show 0.6% of all welfare recipients are those you endeavour to shame in your delusional rant of course you are unable to “see” that information because it does not fit your view of the world. the government also knows those people have addiction and mental health problems. You better hope you never get ill you have no karma coming your way. You again highlight just how ugly you are.
Jean, that’s a sweeping generalisation. The “self serving lucky” could apply to many. It depends on comparisons, many countries, as you know, don’t have the social security that we rightfully provide. Not all of the wealthy here are lucky. I know a few who have worked hard, taken risks and treat people as they find them, and are generous to a fault.
And regardless of individuals caring for strugglers, who cares, we pay taxes for our govt’s to provide help and a leg up where required.
Garn JB, you old poseur. You’ll have us believe you’re a latter day hunter and gatherer/neolithic revolutionary but all the while you’re firmly sucking the tripe out of the neo-modernity teat.
Get real me old mate!
“……. firmly sucking the tripe out of the neo-modernity teat…………. ”
You’re going to end up in a strait jacket Carl.
enjoy
https://www.superguide.com.au/smsfs/beware-the-dastardly-death-tax
Timely article. You certainly get a sugar rush from a covfefe. Say what you like about Donald Trump but at least he knows his Italian pastries.
Yeah, boohoohoo.
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/050615/are-you-top-one-percent-world.asp
Any of us who owns a house or two outright, and a wedge invested, got that way by a remarkable juxtaposition of our lucky stars, born in the right place at the right time wherein our labours and extraordinarily fortunate opportunities delivered up a luxurious and privileged life that 95+% of all those alive or ever lived could only dream about.
The value of our houses is a result of government legislation rigging the market to favour those favoured by the fates.
Time to stop obsessing over what we think we deserve in our coddled comfort, suck it up and start contemplating what we have done to the planet! And our children and grandchildren.
And you no doubt wear a cilice and self-flagellate quite regularly, if not every day me old mate.
That’s your weirdest and most disconnected response yet Carl. What on Earth are you on about?
Your obvious expressed guilt in not belonging to your forgotten “95+%”, colliding with your self-indulgent wallowing in “coddled comfort” surely requires punishment to appease your tortured inner soul JB.
If you can’t hack the physical religious ritual, you can always go bush, with or without the sandals me old mate.
I suppose that is the only way you can think Carl. I’m full of the joys of life and a “the glass is bloody full to overflowing” type. I don’t have guilt, it’s self indulgent and a wasted emotion but I am honest enough to see the world as it is. And I refuse to lower myself to some seedy self serving construct to justify non empathy and inaction.
Gee whizz, JB! What have we done to the planet?
Warmed it up a bit and added some insulation; cleared the weeds, manicured the lawns and established some lovely garden beds; given it a lick of paint; offered the neighbourhood kids an opportunity to aspire to more than just wandering about and whacking each other with sticks. In other words, everything that one would do for a home one loves.
Just never satisfied, that’s your problem!
Typical bloody tenant. Heres the real estate agents assessment. And the “Building Condemned” notice from the council engineer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0pli8E9ic
Here’s me trying to find reasons to stop drinking and you just keep giving me reasons to stick at it . . .
If that bloke is right there’s no WAY I want to be sober in the next few years. In fact, it might even be worth getting on the smack to make sure I have no idea what’s happening around me.
If we let nature recover it would do the work but we’re interfering big-time in the process & we will pay a massive price for our greed. True science says AGW is fact. It’s not funded by special interest groups like governments or environmentalists & it’s this ‘true science’ that comes from studies of our ecosystems & biospheres that can’t be denied. Our planet is absolutely in trouble but by the time the talk-fests reach any meaningful consensus, it’ll be far too late to turn it around.
Regards, Bella
STATE of ‘ORRIBLE:- a top win by our blokes but we should not go troppo over it. No Johnathan Thurston, no Greg Inglis, no Matt Scott, no chance…. Geniuses Cronk and Smith were totally lost without Thirsty next to them and they were virtually blotted out of the game. Just goes to show how pivotal this bloke is when it comes to State of ‘Orrible Football. I have never seen the Toads make so many errors towards the end. We had some luck I might add that we don’t usually get. Fifita-GASP! GROAN! SIGH! Tedesco was great…hey I know Darius is great but we Cockroaches were doubly glad they left Slater out. That was an error. We have a youngish team just starting. The Toads have an oldish team just coming to its end (I hope!)
You won fair and square Bassy. A far better team on the night. Fifita and Tedesco were brilliant!
Roosters fans will be very happy with the Tedesco signing. He is the next NRL superstar. I haven’t been a fan of Fifita. He and a few others in the Blues’ jersey have had problems away from the game but they are working hard to become better people. A great game last night especially in the first half – a wonderful exhibition of rugby league at its best. The Blues were too good with and without the footy in the second half. If Thurstan can return for the next one in Sydney that should even things up a bit.
Test2
Tabasco gave one of the best performances ever to miss out on the MOTM. Signed with the Raiders a couple of years back then reneged. Other Raider-spurners last night going round were Dugan, Milford and Ferguson.
Anyhow, I loved it. How was the Toad ball handling when they were desperately trying to score near the end there? Champers.
I didn’t like the head hunting…Fido The Dog (Sam Thaiday) another cat who had a very quiet game. He is usually in the thick of things bursting up the middle. Not in sight Wed Nite?
Well done the Blues. I’m eating a large helping of humble pineapple today. Queensland looked tired. Time for renewal and some younger legs.
best game of league i have seen for a while, especially the first half, played at a cracking pace.
Yeah yeah yeah a win for the Blues…..but don’t count us out just yet.
Keep this in mind Bassie.
https://m.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=737682463077309&id=100005066865159
Is anyone else having difficulties with the National Affairs page at The Oz? I’m having constant issues with it getting hung up with a long-running script, then shutting down, re-loading, getting hung-up, etc. There have always been technical issues with The Oz web-site but they’re just getting worse. The thing is barely useable at times.
Not me. You sure it isn’t a local issue?
Having posted that note I went back and the thing was running smoothly again. I’m not sure if my browser gets confused by the interaction between the PC and The Australian through the satellite connection. Certainly the link can get a bit flukey at this time of year with snow and ice in the air.
Or it could have been the massive damage I did to myself with Dimple and stout a couple of nights back and it was actually my brain that was stuttering.
I’d say the Dimple was to blame TBLS, happy belated birthday anyway
Cheers!
Alcohol will do that to the best of home screens Bowie.
Seriously though, do you regularly (can’t say religiously anymore) clear your computer history with a good software program like CC Cleaner (its free)? it will likely solve the page loading problem.
However, for what its worth JTI, I have this same problem with the Aus all the time on the iPad. it must be the length of text or attachments, photos etc. it often reloads to the point I have to log out and go back in again, and it is a pain in the arse when reading a long article.
Aren’t you the one still using a very old version of Windows? Maybe the problem if that’s the case?
I’m having difficulties getting printed on here, and I read Tracy is too.
Surely these changes will, as usual , create other scenarios when people attempt to circumvent their new situation. It could be an increase in rents or people putting assets into other people’s names etc. How about we pay no taxes whilst living and then add them up whilst we are getting soil tossed on our boxes, or our ashes are thrown to winds?
That just about sums up national affairs BLS.
There are similarities.
happy belated birthday,
i expect you would have chuckled at the asylum seeker stories over the last week.
Quite a bit of inconsistent refereeing in Origin tonight. Mitchell Pearce looks to be the one to have paid the price for earlier inaction.
A lot of shoulders and necks being attacked by NSW as well to the detriment of a few players. Sub-Melbourne Storm nonsense.
The first time in years they figure out how to play football, and then they ruin it with their usual thuggery.
Obviously the forward pass rule doesn’t apply to NSW…………
Not if it is two metres or less.
It sure didn’t apply last night hey Razor? Very bad reffing.