Word of the day

Imagineer – a creative engineer; a person who devises and implements a new or highly imaginative concept or technology, in particular one who devises the attractions in Walt Disney theme parks; a person who invents something exciting, especially a machine for people to ride on in a theme park; to devise and implement a new or highly imaginative concept or technology.

Sowell says

There was a time when we honored those who created the prosperity and the freedom that we enjoy. Today we honor the complainers and sue the creators. Perhaps that is inevitable in an era when we no longer count our blessings, but instead count all our unfulfilled wishes.

— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) May 27, 2024

3 kinds of people in the world

There are three kinds of people in the world – those who can count and those who can’t.

No wonder he forgot to sell his shares…he didn’t know what the numbers meant. pic.twitter.com/RCC1X7ela8

— Ani O’Brien (@aniobrien) May 30, 2024

Does this poor  grasp of numbers from a former Minister explain why Labour left the big mess the coalition government is having to clean up?

Women of the day

Women of the Day sewing machinists Rose Boland, Eileen Pullen, Vera Sime, Gwen Davis and Sheila Douglass of Dagenham. You haven’t heard of them? Of course you have. They were the leaders of the 187 women who refused to work at Ford Dagenham in 1968 until they were granted equal… pic.twitter.com/T173BczyTY

— The Attagirls (@TheAttagirls) May 29, 2024

 

Finding more for cancer drugs

National campaigned on funding more cancer drugs but the government wasn’t able to do that in this Budget.

These drugs would make the difference in both quality and length of life for some, and could be the difference between life and death for others,

Funding was to come from reinstating the $5 prescription fee for everyone except people with Community Services cards and pensioners but that isn’t going to be enough.

One way the government could get more money for these drugs is by means testing all the extras for pensioners.

I defend universal superannuation because the alternative is a disincentive to thrift.

The poor would get a pension, the really rich wouldn’t need it but in between are the people who are too rich to be poor and too poor to be rich.

Those who through hard work and postponing spending retire with a nest egg would find that lessened the amount of their pensions, or disqualified them from it altogether.

Others who through bad luck, or bad management, had no nest eggs would get the help denied to the workers and savers.

However, my defense of universality doesn’t extend to extras such as the winter energy payment and other taxpayer funded add-ones to the pension like the prescription subsidy.

The government could, and should, at least make the extras opt-in. Better still it should means test them then use the money saved to fund more cancer drugs.

No winter energetic payment and a $5 prescription charge for those who don’t need them would be a small price to pay for better cancer treatments for those who do need them.

It might also reinforce the message that the dire economic situation we’re in requires sacrifices and extra help for pensioners who can pay their own power bills and prescription fees are nice-to-haves the country simply can’t afford.