The extension of subsidies to the wealthiest Australians made possible by the mining boom was made an artform under John Howard's Government. The strain it has placed on the budget since 2007 has become increasingly apparent.
Finally we have a measure of what that transfer of wealth to those least in need of it looks like:
"THE richest fifth of households receive nearly half of all the wages paid in Australia - but also get about 12 per cent of all government handouts, new research by the Bureau of Statistics shows. ..."
"... Many high income households qualify for government payments including the child care rebate, which is not means tested, and the private health insurance rebate. The analysis also showed government assistance to the poorest quintile of households was only marginally higher than the next income quintile. ..."
Baby bonuses, subsidised superannuation for those who don't need it, family trusts, public funding of 'private schools', hollow companies that enable 28.5% tax rates, .... the list just goes on and on!
Australia has become a great big nanny state that is not properly targeting those in chronic need; preferring instead to label and demonise vulnerable people.
We are no longer so equal and no longer so fair. All sides of politics should be urgently addressing in the runup to the next election and before it tears our society apart.
