However it doesn’t so much require strong economics
knowledge but a sense of equity and the Australian concept of a ‘fair go’ to
know that there is something wrong with the Federal Budget and the philosophy
behind some of it.
Firstly, it is clear there is a need to tighten spending by
the Government and, I think, increase revenue. I think (as do most
economists)we are far from in the middle of a ‘budget emergency’ and I am not
an advocate for surpluses as a necessity for a healthy, caring and courageous
society. My concern is always, and above all else, what sort of country do we
want this to be. I believe the social economy, the spiritual health and the
community quotient is what ought to be the goal of our citizens and
politicians. With care, forward thinking and an acceptance of nothing less than
compassion for all I believe this will be a wonderful country for everyone, not
the least those who currently find it tough and are likely to find it even
tougher if the budget goes through as presented.
I think the Government has actually misread the electorate
badly and that is what has fired the discontent and negativity around the
measures being planned. Australians by and large can cop a bit of a kick
occasionally if they feel they can afford it. What they won’t cop is a kick being
given to someone already doing it too hard, the already disadvantaged, our
older citizens or those in genuine need on benefits. It goes against our values
and the fabric of the country; it is what defines the concept of a ’fair go’.
Also we have matured as nation from the days when the ‘dole bludger’
mentality/myth was a popular war cry or dog whistle. Most of us know or have
had personal experience of Centrelink and the dole so we know how hard it is to
‘live’ on an allowance that is in fact below the poverty line. I certainly know
that fear of going to the letterbox fearing what bill might be in there and
deciding if I’ll have my noodles for tea that night or go without just to keep
the gas on for another month.
I have a scenario in my head about extending the pension age
to 70. Old Bob has worked all his life in manual labor. He is proud of living
the way he was raised as the principal breadwinner, feeding his family all his
working life and taking sustenance from the fact that the house he lives in, the
car he drives, the holidays they go on, the education the kids had, enabling
his wife to study and do volunteer work and the lifestyle they could afford all
were due to his working for many decades. At 62 his factory goes out of
business and he is suddenly unemployed. No redundancy because it turns out his
bosses weren’t all that flash at accounting. Bob’s back is pretty buggered and
no one wants to really employ a bloke who will only give them 8 years and might
have a fair bit of sick leave. So here we have a bloke on benefits for 8 years
until he can get the aged pension, slowly deteriorating physically and his
self-esteem slipping because he no longer feels of worth or able to do what he
thinks is important to the way he sees himself – work and bring in a proper
income. Multiply this story by many and we have new burdens on the health
system, the welfare system and the psyche of communities. PLUS we add the
burden of GP co-payments, higher prescription fees plus benefits not being
indexed appropriately.
This is a country where 660,000 people are registered as
unemployed, many people working just a few hours a week and others who don’t
register at all or just give up don’t figure in that number. It is said that
12½ % of the population currently live below the poverty line. This is what I call an emergency.
I fear the reality of life does not match the concept of the
policies of this government; I don’t believe they understand that not all
children have parents or family at all, let alone those for whom it is not safe
to live with. To then mandate that a person under 30 ‘should’ live with their
families while they look for a job or learn something for six months without
payment is frankly callous. If you’ve just finished a four or six year Uni
course why the heck would you want to then go and ‘learn’ something else? If
you have been knocked around a bit because you had problems learning or
studying for whatever reason what would that do to your esteem to then be
turned away from getting a benefit and penalised for not undertaking some
learning? These are the realities not the Pollyanna-esque version of life these
Parliamentarians seem to have. And heaven forbid they should get sick from
anxiety or stress and have to find the means to pay the $7 Joe-payment.
All of us are also painfully aware that any costs that
increase as a result of the budget are not the only increases we have to
contend with. In the last few months there has been increases in car
registration, public transport fares, utilities, private health insurance,
petrol and (disastrously for Melburnians) coffee – and have you seen the cost
of lamb recently! Again a reality that the government doesn’t seem to
understand when they talk about small imposts and inconvenience and hard to
swallow when they trot out a line like ‘we know this will be hard for some
people’ not to mention the tiresome, macho (remind me how many women are in
cabinet again?)sloganeering of ‘share the load… doing the heavy lifting’ etc. I
think we all know about toting the bales already.
Life and lives are complex, nuanced and varied and sensitive
legislators and caring administrators need to adapt to that not the other way
around.
So here’s the thing. The government has lost the ‘we are not
breaking promises’ line so give it up and cop it sweet, you lied, we were
fooled and you should be ashamed so please stop treating us like fools. You
have now diminished the image of politicians even further than you and the now
Opposition did during the minority term. That, Mr Abbot, Mr Pyne, Ms Gillard
and Mr Rudd is a shame on you and I don’t know how the mistrust we now have can
ever be overcome but on your own heads be it.
It is hard too to imagine how the pollies can argue the
concept of hard times in the economy, pushing the disadvantaged further down,
charging a co-payment at the doctors, making tertiary education a product
rather than a right (something that is to be available to those who are capable
of paying rather than to all who are
capable of studying), raising the pension age etc while paying billions for
second rate and unnecessary fighter jets (where’s the threat to the country
coming from exactly?)and reducing funds to our world recognised research body,
the CSIRO (well suited to undertake the much heralded and guilt driven medical
research). On the co-payment I’m a bit confused by the way; we were told it was
necessary because, well everyone should pay for medical care and we simply
couldn’t afford to go on with Medicare as it was unless there was the
co-payment. THEN out comes the budget and we find the bloody money isn’t going
to Medicare at all but mostly to this amorphous ‘medical research’ fund…what
the? The rebate to doctors will drop apparently and there will be extra
administration costs to them for the tax so I suspect it will only be a matter
of time before ALL doctors charges rise. I did a calculation that if my GP puts
up fees by $7 and combined with the rise in prescriptions I would be out of
pocket about $1200 a year.
Now we sit back and rake in the billions from the poor and
the middle classes, a few pennies (temporarily) from the well off and the rich
while abolishing the carbon charge and the mining tax – does that make sense.
Of course if Labour had got the mining tax right we would have been reaping a
fortune from the Billion dollars A WEEK the mining companies are procuring from
OUR (as in all of us) resources. Imagine
if we’d got (or they’d had the community spirit to offer)ten or twenty billion
in revenue from the mining boom each year, and we should have.
In the end, it is indeed the end of the age of entitlement,
sadly many of foolishly thought we were entitled to feel safe and cared for or
about.
I remember the mantra before the election – the Coalition
would stop the boats, scrap the carbon tax and bring the budget back under
control.
I never expected they also meant ‘we’ll kill the fair go’.
Pity…at least the economy will be strong.
Got to run, off to Aldi to stock up on instant noodles.
