Imagine a social services minister who thinks welfare is communism. We didn't know it at the time - but Dan Tehan, the minister for social services in the Turnbull government, has some reservations about welfare.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
On Monday morning, after Bill Shorten announced the biggest changes to childcare arrangements since Paul Keating's rebates in 1994, Dan Tehan was on the ABC.
What, I wondered, could he possibly say to criticise these announcements, apart from the tired trope of asking where the money will come from? (Quick answer: all that delicious franking credit revenue. Ka-ching!)
In response to the announcement that those earning $69,000 a year or less would have access to free childcare - and those earning quite a bit more would pay less - Tehan had this measured response: "This is a fast track to a socialist, if not communist, economy."
Can you vote for a government where a former minister for welfare and the current minister for education suggesting that welfare is communism? Next he'll be suggesting we leave old people and girl babies on a Spartan hillside. Slight exaggeration. But since when did looking out for those who need support suddenly require a scare campaign. Would he carry on like this about the National Disability Insurance Scheme? Newstart? The age pension?
Now that he's minister for education, could this "analysis" of his extend to removing funding for public schools? Think that's farfetched? This is a bloke who is equating safety nets with socialism. In other words, only a fair go for those who have a go on a solid income.
In any event, I'm not sure if the words socialist and communist still frighten Australians - even if they know what they mean. New polling reveals Australians have socialist values even if they can't define exactly what socialism means.
Shaun Ratcliff, a political science lecturer at the University of Sydney, ran polling with United States Studies Centre and YouGov earlier this year and discovered that many Australian respondents couldn't even define socialism.
But what they could define was this - most Australians do want the government to run much of the economy, says Ratcliff. Most wanted public ownership and operation of roads, public transport, utilities, health and aged care and education.
Hilariously, as many Australians want airports, airlines and banks in public ownership as support them being run by the private sector.
Even Coalition voters preferred government ownership for much of the economy except for banking and insurance. I'm assuming this research happened before Justice Hayne handed down his report.
When Labor introduced the #childcare rebate scheme in 1994, it made a material difference to our family. This will have an even bigger impact. If this is socialism, I say go for it.
I don't think it's socialism though. I think it's about supporting people who need support and help. And Australians think that's what governments should be about.
- SMH/The Age
