The Liberal party, which opposes means testing when Labor introduces it, now complains that Australia's welfare system is unsustainable. Nobody's buying their bare assertions
Stung by the near-universal verdict that his budget fails the fundamental tests of fairness and decency, Joe Hockey took to the lectern at the Sydney Institute earlier this month to wax lyrical about the need to end the so-called age of entitlement.
In his speech, Hockey complained that attacks on his budget amounted to 1970s class warfare. Apparently anyone who points out the obvious inequity of the governments changes to pensions, family payments and Newstart is a class warrior. In that case, groups and individuals as diverse as Labor, the Business Council of Australia, Acoss and former Liberal leader John Hewson have donned their khakis to battle on behalf of the working class.
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