http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/9526637/gap-between-rich-and-poor-widening/

The gap between rich and poor is widening and almost 70 per cent of Australians know someone who is struggling to pay for basic necessities, a new report says.

In the run-up to the Salvo's Red Shield Appeal Doorknock this weekend, the charity has released Roy Morgan data based on a random telephone survey.

It reveals 11.1 million people, or about 60 per cent of Australians, think the gap between rich and poor has increased in the last year.

In addition, 12.5 million people, or 68 per cent of Aussies, say they know people who are finding it difficult to pay for basic necessities such as electricity, gas, water and food bills.

Internal research shows almost one in four of the charity's clients think they are a lot worse off than they were last year.

Sixty-five per cent of them say they have had to cut down on luxuries such as hair cuts, cosmetics and shampoos.

The Salvos' Major Neil Venables said the findings were "alarming".

"To see so many people indicating they know someone who is finding it difficult to pay the basic necessities of everyday life is shocking," he said.

He said the increased cost of living was impacting "in a big way" on low-income families, with the charity now estimating more than 2.2 million people live in poverty, including about 12 per cent of Australian children.

"We need donations urgently because the simple fact is that the demands on our social and community services are growing," he said.

A string of recent natural disasters across Australia, such as the flooding in NSW and Queensland, had stretched resources to the maximum and the need for funding was critical, he added.

"After all the challenges of recent months, including implementing a comprehensive flood response plan, our resources are severely stretched," Major Venables said.

"We help around one million people a year - if you put them in a line, it would stretch from the centre of Melbourne to Newcastle."

The annual doorknock starts on Saturday and ends on Sunday with a goal to raise $79 million.

Major Peter Sutcliffe reminded people that the charity was about more than just "food and blankets".

"We provide crisis accommodation, telephone counselling, emergency services, employment help, support for families in need, disaster relief and much, much more," he said.
The Roy Morgan Research survey sample size was 660 nationally

As a social communist party - Labor and Greens was suppose to reduce these things

Yet the gap is widening.

Now they will bring in more taxes both state and federally

Wait till the climate change scam comes into play. It is going to get much worse.

How can a government in this day and age fail its people so bad, and to  not have the carbon tax affect anyone yet, is just dismall.

Not JUST Labor and the Greens.

John Howard spent most of his career doing eff-all
for the poor.

These blow-fly larvae that we have in power ATM
are merely exacerbating a problem that's been
brewing for many years.

Kat wrote on May 27^th, 2011 at 8:09am:

Not JUST Labor and the Greens. John Howard spent most of his career doing eff-all for the poor. These blow-fly larvae that we have in power ATM are merely exacerbating a problem that's been brewing for many years.

crap you tend to foget about all the atx cuts.. and bunus'... not including the unemployed who as far as you are concerned are the only ones doing it tough..



well I and my husband did our bit for this country never ever claimed unemployment... never ever received baby bonus.. or the like..


and I am now on a single pension and doing it really tough..on top of a tracksuit and jumper I wear my winter dressing gown.. to save putting on my miserable small heater..and I am not alone and I dont whinge too much... well who wants to listen after all..

I am looking at the topic the op... and I can believe a lot are doing it tough... m ind you if you are living in a McMansion well thats the price you pay for being greedy I guess. and no I dont feel for them... anymore than I feel for an unemployed person who doesnt want to get out of bed.. and only wishe s to be a lion tamer.. I have other prorities..

if this carbon tax kicks in where will it leave all these people that are finding it hard to manage now???..

I agree credit cards are basically to blame...and anyne turning up to a charity should be made to front up with their credit cards..they are living in a fools paradise. and whilst they have them they will use them....

credit card adicts... another problem we are creating...

Kat wrote on May 27^th, 2011 at 8:09am:

Not JUST Labor and the Greens. John Howard spent most of his career doing eff-all for the poor. These blow-fly larvae that we have in power ATM are merely exacerbating a problem that's been brewing for many years.

The three income tax cuts that the Howard Government brought in during their time were welcome though.

Work choices ( No choices ) was as welcome as a whole in the head.   :(  

A whole head or half a head?

Maqqa wrote on May 27^th, 2011 at 7:58am:

As a social communist party - Labor and Greens was suppose to reduce these things Yet the gap is widening. Now they will bring in more taxes both state and federally

The only people to claim the Greens are Social Communists is the far right extremists in the Coalition and Murdoch press.
Its a tad ironic given that if it wasnt for the Chinese Communists we not only would have been in a deep recession for the past decade but the last budget surplus would have been under Hawke/Keating  ;D

adelcrow, you can add the Unions to the Labour and greens, they are all in there for their own benefit.
The tax concessions for super will increase the gap between the rich and poor.

Australia also spends a larger percentage of the GDP on military, more than most European countries, to go fighting in other countries, to establish Democracy, yet Australia is not a Democracy but a Plutocracy. I probably will not see it in my life time, but if Australia does not become more egalitarian and democratic, it will have similar riots that other countries experience now.
This are the tax savings for a person who can use the maximum super contributions if under 50 Years of age.
Concessional contribution at 30.June 2010
$25,000 *0.465=$11,625
$25,000*0.15=3,750 Tax saving= $11,625-$3,750=$7,875
$450,000 in super fund
$450,000*.06=$27,000 Interest
$27,000*0.465=$12,555
$27,000*0.15=$4,050 Tax saving $12,555-$4050=$8,505
Total tax saved = $8505+$7875=$16,380 for this year.

If the person is over 50 contribution is as follow.
$50,000*0.465%=$23,250
$50,000*0.15=$7,500 Tax saved= $23,250-$7,500=$15,750
Total Tax saved==$15,750+$8505=$24,255 This is well above the age pension

As the persons super balance can exceed the $500,000 limit for the over 50’s the contribution drops to $25,000, but the person contributes $450,000 non concessional into the fund so that the fund now holds $900,000

$900,000*0.06=$54,000
Tax= $54,000*0.465=$25110
Tax= $54,000*0.15=$8100 Tax saved= $25110-$8,100=$17,010
Total tax saved=$17,010+$7875=$24,885

The tax savings for a person in this position will only increase further as the balance in their fund increases and therefore the income which is taxed at 15%. And when the person reaches the age of 60 and starts drawing down the super, there will be no tax obligation at all. Assume a fund balance of $2million*6% =$120,000 income completely tax-free and this is a very conservative approach by having super balance in a term deposit.

Yet Mr.Shorten is talking about a “sustainable social system” yet he has been challenged by the Australian Taxation Office for breaches of the contribution limit.

Quote:

Labor & Greens have failed the poor

Of course they have failed the poor, AND THE POOR WILL SUFFER FURTHER IF THIS STUPID LABOR/GREEN GOVERNMENT HAS ITS WAY IN INTRODUCING 2 NEW TAXES, THE SILLY CARBON TAX AND THE MINING TAX,

Labor used to represent the battlers and the poor as its constituents, now the INNER CITY UNIVERSITY EDUCATED ECO SOCIALISTS (hence, the latte sipping, champagne sipping socialists) are LABORS NEW CONSTITUENTS, and mind you alot of them are successful people and carry some wealth, especially if you can afford to live in the inner city areas.

But of course they have to compete with Australian greens party for there votes since they are becoming more attracted to the loopey greens.

So in a way Labor represents a BOURGEOUS CLASS.  ;D ;D