‘When will I get my money?’

Wednesday, 11th March 2009

Neither libertarians nor social democrats, Australians will welcome Kevin Rudd’s handout, says John Heard

Beginning in March, Kevin Rudd will lavish taxpayer cash on those who have stopped working (including those who have done so voluntarily), on people who have been working for more than a year (and are therefore less likely to need a handout of this kind), on the vast — more or less entitled — middle class, and on the struggling fringe.

And, barring some sort of catastrophic bungle during the implementation, this handout will deliver the Rudd government a substantial political boost.

Why? Because no prudent Australian would refuse a direct government intervention characterised as timely assistance, and no conservative concerned about the strength of the social infrastructure, and the endurance of those institutions that buttress Australian freedom, should begrudge him that instinct.

This is the case despite the fact that there is an Australian folk sensibility, a myth of resilience that holds that only those who cannot support themselves, through no fault of their own, deserve public largesse.

And it flies in the face of the fact that, even apprised of hardship, most Australians still think that charity is best provided by charities — religious, family-based or otherwise.

They are right, of course; private groups do charity work more efficiently, and more creatively. The men and women who work for charities also frequently smile. It would be hard to find an Australian who has ever welcomed a smiling tax officer, let alone witnessed the magnanimity of a Centrelink employee. It is not the fault of the government workers, however.

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