our own axis of evil

I used to think that institutionalised religion and crime were the biggest threats to democracy and social justice in this country, but now I can see that the private school system belongs in the same league. A veritable Axis of Evil and injustice within our own borders - crime, religion and private schools. Come to think of it, both crime and religion have a lot to do with private schools!

I've read the news several times, but I still can't believe my eyes. The Labor party has agreed to maintain the Howard government atrocity that funnels huge sums of public money into the privileged private school system, at the expense of our public schools, for another 3 years! For what? So these children of the rich and nouveau-riche can continue to enjoy their birthright privileges (including practising the fine art of shoplifting), subsidised by all tax-payers? Children whose parents no doubt can already afford to avail themselves of the many tax-avoidance and minimisation schemes not available to the masses trapped in the PAYE system that supports private schools.

This is one of the worst, most unfair and unjust policies that this country has ever been subject to, and it disgusts me that the Labor party has allowed the private school lobby to influence and control it in this way.

My electoral options this month are shrinking by the day.

p.s... and here's a great article by Kenneth Davidson in the Age 9/8 on government funding of private schools.

private school rorts to grow

At the same time as he promises to cut funding for important infrastructure programs, the mad monk of conservative politics is promising to make private school fees tax-deductable!

I was so disgusted when I read this, that I almost stopped breathing for a few seconds!

Federal government funding arrangements for wealthy private schools is already one of the biggest rorts left over from the Howard Government days. It's an outrage that taxpayers are forced to contribute so much to support these bastions of wealth, privilege (and shop-lifting), while chronically under-funded government schools are left to struggle, and their students are forced to endure sub-standard conditions.

To think that idiot Abbott is prepared to further feather the nest of his privileged constituents at the expense of the rest of the country by making fees for these unnecessary private schools deductable just defies belief.

My vote goes to any candidate who promises to stop government funding of private schools, or better yet, to 'nationalise' them and make them available to all Australian kids, equitably.

Xavier graduating shoplifting class of 2010

Now we know what money can't buy!

$20k pa in school fees, enormous government subsidies while state schools go begging, international school excursions, but these poor little rich boys can't afford to buy the things they really need - ski gear!

Of course they had to steal it - how else could they get it?

The worst part of all this? One day, some of these kids will be Liberal party candidates and get voted in , instead of ending up in prison, where they really belong.