Anyway my feelings and those of others I know were one of optimism and I would hazard a guess that many people who feel left out of the prosperity of this present society felt good about what they heard. Most people receiving benefits and even low income earners hope others in society want to share in mutual obligation and social cohesion. Most recipients of benefits, no matter what type, I am sure would welcome organized community involvement but NOT if it is portrayed in a negative fashion, if there is stigma attached to the work, if it is seen in any way like a punitive measure, if there is resentment in the air and if it is not flexible and chosen in some way by the participant.

Many people on benefits live busy exciting useful lives even with small amounts of cash. If people on small incomes pay little tax that will also be rectified after July when benefit recipients too will be GST taxed.

Senator Newman on 29/3/00 indicated that Centrelink in the past has portrayed an abrupt non-inclusive type of front. The new Centrelink would be different. Personally I have always found individuals in Centrelink very nice—its what the people working there have been asked to carry out.

To my thinking her comments the next day ... seemed to backtrack from the 29/3/00. The whole feeling of trust, fellowship and furtherance seemed now to be at odds with comments the previous day. She seemed political and divisive. Imagine thinking low income earners would be glad that those receiving benefits would be obliged to do their dues. Why did she pick LOW INCOME EARNERS? Why not the rich, say those on $1 million a year, would those people also not feel glad of mutual obligation? This welfare reform must:

have no stigma of a negative kind attached to benefit recipients;

have no negative stigma attached to the type of work they do;

they, mutual obligers, should not be `told' what to do but should in agreement with a broad selection of community members choose the work they do for the benefit of all;

it must be flexible.

N.B. Benefit recipients might even be able to do or help with some of the work low income earners do then we can all be friends together bettering our communities.