Poll Bludger

Yesterday, Tony Abbott took a mid-carbon tax argument segue to the issue of welfare reform/total destruction. Many took it as a welcome break from the current climate focussed vague-a-thon, but at a time when the cost of living is at the forefront of people’s minds, this was actually all about the carbon tax. Once again Tony Abbott is wetting his dog whistle and is off to the park with his shit scooper.

Welfare resentment is one of those things that seems to be higher at the lower end of the economic spectrum, and all that’s required to get it going is a little push with some cynical political footwork. Tony Abbott is well trained at this sort of manoeuvre, learned through his years of boxing and stomping on cute things. As those in the working and lower-middle-classes struggle with increased costs, there’s nothing that gets the hackles up than being told that THEY are paying someone to ‘slack off’. It gets even worse when they’re told that welfare fraud in particular is a major drag on the public purse.

Now of course, that is bullshit. While the complexities of unemployment and why people some people stay unemployed is probably something that should have a lot of money thrown at it, in terms of the budget it’s small potatoes. The long-term unemployed represent a small proportion of total unemployment, and in recent years there numbers have dropped dramatically, from 3.7 percent in 1993 to 0.9 percent in 2005. Which is perhaps a suggestion the welfare system is working just fine.

Of the billions spent per year on social security and welfare the vast majority goes towards the baby bonus, childcare rebates and the family tax benefit, which the most of those up in arms about ‘dole bludgers’ accept without irony. Of course that’s not what Abbott wants to draw attention to, because lots of those lovely swinging voters get those benefits and those guys are sensitive. Best to have a crack at the mythical, bong-smoking, couch laying arse picker living it up on $250 a week and that arrogant prick on disability. Those bastards are the real problem.

The current pressures on personal finances bring the need for political scapegoats and the long-term unemployed are an easy target for Abbott. They receive little sympathy or defence, have no lobby groups, and the myths surrounding them frustrate working people struggling with the current financial climate. Without mentioning it, Abbott has indirectly made people think of the financial effects of the carbon tax. All while pushing an ideological barrow and being a populist turd sock. This is the sort of evil genius reserved for James Hardie board meetings and Nick Minchin bathroom mirror monologues.

I’d like to say the electorate will see through this and call Abbott on his shit, but I’m not on crack and neither are you.