The phrase is a throwback from Robert Menzies and in this context was used by Joe Hockey, as a bludgeon against the perceived "leaner 's" in Australia, or more specifically people who are either underemployed or unemployed and are receiving some level of government benefits. This of course compares to the "lifters", which refers to people who contribute in some way to investment and economic growth. The speech given by Joe Hockey, was a continuation of and application of the coalitions perceived 'debt and deficit crisis ' and more broadly can be a viewed as an attack on the nation 's most vulnerable and poorest. Some of the proposals put forward by Joe Hockey include, but are not limited to: an increase in the pension age eligibility, tougher income tests for self-funded retirees to received commonwealth seniors health cards, $7 GP co-payments, billions slashed from hospitals, university fee deregulation, 6 month waiting periods for people under 30 applying for the dole and tightened eligibility criteria for disability support pensioners. The values and principles that Joe Hockey and his ilk …show more content…
It 's about creating an environment, in which confidence is high and enterprise can flourish and make profits and that it 's not the government 's role, to collect taxes for anything other than the funding of necessary public services. This obviously speaks quite egregiously to the "right values"