The Australian calls the Labor policy on schools at the last election as 'class war'. I've got another name for it: social justice. It really makes my blood boil that my tax money goes on subsidising the rich's private education. And Labor, if they are a true progressive party, should be arguing against this flagrant redistribution of money from the have nots to the haves. But with Beazley in charge don't expect anything as courageous as that to happen. The Australian claims that it is the 'politics of envy' but it's not. People should have the right to eduate their children privately but if they wish to do this they should not expect the state to help them. The state should provide a 'public' education system open to all and paying the wealthy middle classes to opt out of this system benefits a few at the expense of the many. They dress this up as 'relieving the pressure on the public system' but as this study on the private medical insurance shows all it does is benefit those people who could already afford to pay. The same goes for education.

But it is a hallmark of this government to give money to people who don't need it. Earn $1million a year and have a baby? Here's $3000! Send your child to the best private school in the country - here's a subsidy! Want private medical insurance? Here's a 30% rebate! Want to get your child into Uni but they aren't clever enough? Pay the full fee and we'll lower the admission score! Unskilled and poorly paid? Here's our new IR changes - fuck you!