I haven't tried my hand at scriptwriting for quite some time, but here's a little scene I dashed off today. Reader, imagine if you will:
The scene is lounge room of a single mother aged thirty-four. She has two children, a boy aged twelve and a daughter of nine. She has prepared dinner for her children: sausages and mash, accompanied by a generic brand frozen vegetable mix (that happens to taste like soap). She's having a piece of toast because it's all she can afford. The daughter spills mash down the front of her school jumper, and looks at her mother in disconcertion.
Daughter: Mu-uuum, my jumper's dirty, and I don't have another one for tomorrow!'
Mother: Sorry, I will rinse it out and pop it in the dryer. (stage whispers to the audience: I can't afford the electricity, but I don't have a spare jumper!)
Daughter: Mum, why don't I have two jumpers? Jacinta has two jumpers!
Mother: Who's Jacinta?
Daughter: You know Jacinta, her dad's a merchant banker and she has lots of new clothes all the time. Hey! The school's second hand uniform shop is open tomorrow; maybe you can get me another jumper there.'
Mother: I'm sorry, darling, but the shop only accepts cash, and I don't have any to spare.
Daughter: Why? And is that why we couldn't go to the movies last week?
Mother: Well, honey, it's like this: the government thinks because Mum's under thirty-five she can't be trusted, so they've locked away a large amount of her benefit and will only let her spend it at great big shops like Woolworths or Coles.
Son: Is that why you haven't been to the farmers' markets lately, Mum? Is that why we're eating these frozen vegies that taste like soap?
Mother: Yes, darling. The government doesn't like me supporting struggling farmers, and the farmers are struggling, too, because families like us can't shop at their stalls anymore.
Son: Oh, and Mum? You know how I'm having trouble with maths? Jack's really improved at maths. His family got him a tutor. It's a Year 12 kid who's doing it part time to make some money for his uni. Can you get him to help me?
Mother: Oh, dear. No, I don't think so. You see, this boy would be most likely doing it cash in hand, and I don't have the spare cash in hand because of the government's policy. Remember how I said because I'm under thirty-five I can't be trusted?
Son: That sucks, Mum! I really need the extra help. And what about the kid trying to get himself some money for when he goes to uni? It's not gonna help him, either! I wanted to try and earn some cash, too! You know that lady down the street? The one on disability, who's about twenty-five? I was gonna offer to mow her lawn. Now there's no point.
Daughter: Hey, mum! Will we be able to go the school fete?
Mother: I don't know, petal. You see, I won't have the available cash to buy things because the school won't be able to accept the welfare card.
Daughter: But we'll miss out on the fete!
Mother: Oh, please don't cry. You'll make me cry.
Son: But it won't help with the school, either. How will they get the funds for the air conditioning in the class rooms?
Mother: It's the cashless welfare card, darling. The government introduced it for welfare recipients under the age of thirty-five because they think we're all incapable of managing our money.
Son: Whose idea was that?
Mother: It was the Nationals' bright idea, darling.
Son: Mum, if you don't mind me saying so, the Nationals are a bunch of stupid cunts.
Mother: Yes, darling. They certainly are.
Now, I'm not saying that's a scene that would make Mamet jealous, but I think it flies.
Anyway, I am so SICK of this government and their bullshit ideas. So too am I sick of people saying, 'It's our taxes, and they shouldn't be spending it on booze and cigarettes and pokies.' I will type this slowly for you: people on welfare have often been taxpayers, and continue to pay tax in the form of GST. Also, although recipients are now 'employees', your employer is not allowed to tell you how to disburse your income, and so too should the same principle apply to those on welfare. Finally, at what point did cigarettes, alcohol, and poker machines become illegal? They're not, and no citizen should not be barred from partaking in those activities. Should a citizen wish to have him- or herself placed on an exemption list owing to some addiction, then that is the CHOICE of that citizen.
Nationals and Libs, how about getting out of the arses of your buddies at Indue and subject yourselves to the same conditions and restrictions you would place upon the people slapped with this crappy card? How would YOU like to be told where to shop? How would YOU like your autonomy and dignity removed? How would YOU like to be the subject of economic apartheid? I'm guessing you wouldn't, so stop trying to do it to the public who don't happen to be in the same socio-economic position as you. Also, don't you guys kind of LIKE getting revenue from alcohol, cigarettes, and poker machines? (Did someone just say 'fucking morons and hypocrites'?)
Also, how much is it to 'run' one of these Indue cards? Isn't it something like $10,000.00 per card (correct me if I'm wrong)? What an obscene waste of money for such a loathsome practice! Get out of parliament; you're a bunch of callous, careless clods.
Grrrrrrr!
Did anyone else hear some rumour Peter Dutton might be challenging for the leadership? This is scary. Really, really scary. When I read this the other day, I thought it the scariest thing I'd ever read and I'm a big Stephen King fan. Think about this, folks: do we really want some grubby, fascist, cruel, ex-Queensland copper as our prime minister? No. We do not. Not at all.
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