Post by Chips on May 15, 2008 11:11:03 GMT 9.5
Budget too rich for some, too miserly for others
Your headline "Rich families to lose baby bonus" (smh.com.au, May 13) helps perpetuate the popular misconception that if you earn above a certain amount you are "rich" - and not only undeserving of any benefits, but fair game for tax slugs. It is an insult to families like mine who, while not battling like some, are far from the real top-end of town and struggle from month to month, just like Wayne Swan's ideological "working family".
We feel attacked from all corners: state and federal Labor governments, unions and now the media. With the brick-wall means-testing of most government payments, we stand to lose a lot. I would almost be better off taking a slight pay cut so we dip back below the "rich radar".
It is distressing and insulting that my struggling family is tarred with the same brush as million-dollar households, simply because we've tiptoed across some mythical threshold.
David Reimers Evanston Park (SA)
I have never felt so moved. Listening to Wayne Swan explaining, voice trembling with sincerity, that "hard-working Australian families" are struggling to get by on a mere $90,000 would bring tears to a glass eye. This new threshold of poverty would support an entire village in Africa for maybe three years, or keep about 60 families in China going. The Labor Party, and those who pander to this nonsense, should hang their heads in shame.
John Montgomery Kingscliff
The budget gives almost nothing to disabled people who can work only part-time. We remain trapped, working a maximum of just 14 hours a week, thanks to changes by the Howard government - left in place by Kevin Rudd - which mean that working more than 14 hours jeopardises any disability/part pension we get.
George Peterson Bathurst
It's nice to know the Labor Government thinks my babies are of less value to society than those of people who earn less than I do. The baby bonus is not welfare; it is an incentive for women to have children at a time when birth rates are very low. It should apply equally to all women, who already sacrifice a great deal to have children.
Sarah McKinnon Haberfield
I was hoping we might finally get a budget in which people who decide to have children are expected to pay the costs of having them. Rather, we got another budget in which singles and childless couples are expected to carry the burden of the ever-increasing flow of handouts to our poor old "working families".
Rob Sutherland Surry Hills
Wayne Swan's speech mentioned "working families" 10 times and "family" or "families" another seven.
Norm Neill Darlinghurst
Drought doubles grocery prices. Peak oil triples petrol prices. And yet all Wayne Swan has for climate change is crumbs. Come on, Kevin. The more we defer real efforts to counter this problem, the more it's going to cost your kids.
Toby Thornett Neutral Bay
To set a minimum fuel-efficiency standard for cars, and tax all above that level, would have produced much better outcomes for revenue and the environment than increasing tax on luxury cars.
Zuzu Burford Heathcote
A budget surplus of $22 billion. Where does that leave Australia in this part of the world? Embarrassingly rich.
If the countries around us were houses in one street, Australia would be a mansion with a swimming pool, tennis court and a five-car garage. Our neighbours would be hovels.
And our Government speaks of increasing aid to 0.5 per cent of GDP by 2015. What meanness.
Australia's goodwill in the Pacific is fast dissipating. China is quite open in its intention to become the pre-eminent power there, purchasing political influence through extensive aid.
Pacific people want to maintain a strong friendship with us. Let us learn to be a good neighbour and generous in sharing our largesse.
Andrew Thornley North Parramatta
Your headline "Rich families to lose baby bonus" (smh.com.au, May 13) helps perpetuate the popular misconception that if you earn above a certain amount you are "rich" - and not only undeserving of any benefits, but fair game for tax slugs. It is an insult to families like mine who, while not battling like some, are far from the real top-end of town and struggle from month to month, just like Wayne Swan's ideological "working family".
We feel attacked from all corners: state and federal Labor governments, unions and now the media. With the brick-wall means-testing of most government payments, we stand to lose a lot. I would almost be better off taking a slight pay cut so we dip back below the "rich radar".
It is distressing and insulting that my struggling family is tarred with the same brush as million-dollar households, simply because we've tiptoed across some mythical threshold.
David Reimers Evanston Park (SA)
I have never felt so moved. Listening to Wayne Swan explaining, voice trembling with sincerity, that "hard-working Australian families" are struggling to get by on a mere $90,000 would bring tears to a glass eye. This new threshold of poverty would support an entire village in Africa for maybe three years, or keep about 60 families in China going. The Labor Party, and those who pander to this nonsense, should hang their heads in shame.
John Montgomery Kingscliff
The budget gives almost nothing to disabled people who can work only part-time. We remain trapped, working a maximum of just 14 hours a week, thanks to changes by the Howard government - left in place by Kevin Rudd - which mean that working more than 14 hours jeopardises any disability/part pension we get.
George Peterson Bathurst
It's nice to know the Labor Government thinks my babies are of less value to society than those of people who earn less than I do. The baby bonus is not welfare; it is an incentive for women to have children at a time when birth rates are very low. It should apply equally to all women, who already sacrifice a great deal to have children.
Sarah McKinnon Haberfield
I was hoping we might finally get a budget in which people who decide to have children are expected to pay the costs of having them. Rather, we got another budget in which singles and childless couples are expected to carry the burden of the ever-increasing flow of handouts to our poor old "working families".
Rob Sutherland Surry Hills
Wayne Swan's speech mentioned "working families" 10 times and "family" or "families" another seven.
Norm Neill Darlinghurst
Drought doubles grocery prices. Peak oil triples petrol prices. And yet all Wayne Swan has for climate change is crumbs. Come on, Kevin. The more we defer real efforts to counter this problem, the more it's going to cost your kids.
Toby Thornett Neutral Bay
To set a minimum fuel-efficiency standard for cars, and tax all above that level, would have produced much better outcomes for revenue and the environment than increasing tax on luxury cars.
Zuzu Burford Heathcote
A budget surplus of $22 billion. Where does that leave Australia in this part of the world? Embarrassingly rich.
If the countries around us were houses in one street, Australia would be a mansion with a swimming pool, tennis court and a five-car garage. Our neighbours would be hovels.
And our Government speaks of increasing aid to 0.5 per cent of GDP by 2015. What meanness.
Australia's goodwill in the Pacific is fast dissipating. China is quite open in its intention to become the pre-eminent power there, purchasing political influence through extensive aid.
Pacific people want to maintain a strong friendship with us. Let us learn to be a good neighbour and generous in sharing our largesse.
Andrew Thornley North Parramatta