None dare call it welfare

A news story that caught my attention this weekend is this one about how Aussie grape growers are looking to the Australian Federal Government to deliver a AU$50-million bailout due to a massive wine glut.

It looks, feels and smells like welfare, but of course none dare call it welfare.

I tend to agree with the Government’s position on this. Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran has said, “The industry as a whole – grape growers and winemakers – has enjoyed the successes of the past decade or so. Now it must work together to turn things around.”

Hear, hear!

I don’t see why John & Mary Q. Taxpayer should underwrite these people’s bad business decisions. There’s an existing welfare net available to these people.

After all, they can present to any Centrelink office to be referred to an appropriate jobstart program. It’s certainly conceivable that some of them could be unemployable without some training in basic marketable skills.