The above meme is doing the rounds of Facebook and what Graham Norton says is such a no brainer you do wonder at those greedy people who employ tax consultants to minimise and avoid paying their share.

What kind of community do they want to live in?

One that is permanently gated with more police and security guards than teachers and doctors?

It is a timely reminder for Australians as the soon-to-be-announced (oh, please get on with it!) Federal Election is due.

It has been well-documented how many large corporations don’t pay tax and the many wealthy people, including our former PM Turnbull, who secrete money offshore in tax havens.

It looks as if the current politicians will make Taxation and the Economy the big issues – despite the fact that the LNP have now adopted some of the Labor Party’s policies.

Remember it is our money. The Federal Government has no money of its own.  So, when the tax is divided up, it is important that everyone pays their fair share and it goes where it is most needed!

We must determine where our taxes are spent and I’m glad young people are demanding governments do more to combat climate change – an issue sadly not addressed in the recent Budget.

Nor was underemployment, contract and casual employment, or the poor level of financial assistance we give to those living on Newstart addressed. This is an appallingly inadequate allowance.

Politicians get more for a daily travel allowance than people are expected to live on for a week!

If the Labor Party buys into the trope that ‘unemployed equals dole bludger’ or people unable to find a job are not worthy of help, then it is no longer the party of social justice. Bill Shorten’s Budget Reply better be decidedly different from Josh Frydenberg’s!

The ALP has baggage to ditch
forget rhetoric about poor versus rich
it’s about social cohesion
not fanning division
Jacinda Adern has the right pitch!

Limericks Bursting The  Budget Bubble

Mairi Neil

The Budget was delivered by Josh
no surprises there, by gosh
robotic reading
figures misleading
and included a lot of tosh!

No addressing of climate emergency
global warming not treated with urgency
Josh sold his soul
for a lump of coal
condemning us all to Purgatory

And now the hard sell will begin
to politicians lying is not a sin
there’ll be semantics
confusing statistics
the Truth always a victim of spin

The PM is a marketing man
considers winning in the can
splashing cash
to him not rash
hip pocket nerves all part of the plan

ScoMo always smugness and smiles
in Queensland, he travelled miles
to keep Nats sweet
and avoid defeat
he had a Treasury chest of guiles

Josh said the Budget is in the black
the economy on the right track
who’d have guessed
they’d rob NDIS
for that, they should get the sack!

Yet Julie wore a sparkly blue dress
at 1300 dollars it had to impress
red shoes clicked
Parliament flicked
her next job anybody’s guess

Mathias Cormann lonely without Joe
no cigars or smoke rings on show
as Dutton’s man
he’s now ‘also-ran’
a diminished powerbroker who must go

The Budget framed for election in May
when the people will have their say
about stagnant wages
refugees in cages
and prime ministers who never stay

The pork barrel has been rolled out
too late for those areas in drought
Barnaby oughta
be gaoled over water
his incompetency never in doubt

Labor’s in with a chance to win
if they promise more than spin
Bill’s Budget reply
must satisfy
‘cos people’s patience is wearing thin

Social justice can be achieved
relief for all those aggrieved
a fair go reality
if economic parity
and a living wage guaranteed

Action on climate change a must
Australia’s pastures turning to dust
species dying
suicides climbing
we need a government to trust

We’re at a point of no return
global warming a real concern
find a solution
stop pollution
destructive practices we’ll unlearn

To Neoliberalism we say goodbye
trickle down economics proven a lie
support erasion
of tax evasion
and no more turning of a blind eye!