Budget shows DAY errors of today

I AM old enough to remember when life in our lucky country was much easier. Most families had only one car, dad went out to work and was the bread winner, while mum stayed at home and looked after the family.

In most cases the mum worked harder than the dad and for longer hours, cooking, cleaning, nurturing, nursing washing, ironing and doing many other tasks to keep the family going.

Homes were primarily basic three or four bedrooms, depending on how many children the family had.

Only one toilet and bathroom, a single garage, one television (black and white) and if you were lucky a pushbike or two that we children shared.

We children also worked, in sorts, by doing chores after school, feeding the pets, walking to the local shop to pick something up from mum, mowing and raking the yard, getting the wood in and things like that.

When mum did work outside the home, it was usually a part-time job that did not affect the running of the family and the younger children were usually not left alone.

Life was not perfect, but it was basic and enjoyable. We were happy.

People made do with what they had and went without the extras if that could not be afforded. We knew and usually got on with all our neighbours and at times socialised with them.

Those were the “good, old times” that our children and grandchildren hear about but will never experience. So what happened?

I believe that life today has not changed that much from the “good, old times”, but the priorities of life have changed dramatically.

People are no longer happy with the basic home and furnishings, everyone wants to have more than their friends and neighbours. No one knows or talks to their neighbours any more.

The era of looking after “us” is gone, the era of looking after “me” has arrived. And the cost of living has outstripped the spending power of the single income.

The recent budget presented by the Federal Government is a clear indication of what is wrong with our country in this era.

Big savings in spending could be made by ceasing to pay baby bonuses, child-care rebates, first home owner grants, tax rebates to investment property owners, many other inequitable tax rebates, paid parental leave, GST exemptions to numerous organisations and many other similar rebates and grants that only benefit a select few.

Health, education, the elderly and disabled areas should be left alone, and increased - not cut, by all forms of government.

BERT HAM, Newtown