Monday, June 05, 2006

Families bloody Families

Jason Koutsoukis writes a brilliant piece in yesterday's Sunday Age about the government's obssession with families and how all their policies are aimed at them. Rather than giving them money hand over fist to fund their lifestyles would it not be a more productive use of tax money to spend it on the country's education system? That would benefit the children of all families and would produce a smarter country as well. At the moment $3000 is given to parents, irrespective of income, who have children but they can spend it on what they like - put it towards a new SUV perhaps? Install air conditioning? Buy a new BBQ? Would it not be a much smarter use of this money to put it into an area, that more than any other, will help children (and the country) in the future?

All the current policy is about is bribing voters under the guise of 'promoting hard working families'. Australia is booming off the back of high commodity prices but no money is being spent on investing in the future of this country - when the resources run out we'll see what a 'lucky country' it is then.

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