Helping poor peasants will bankrupt the government
-
Nov 11, 2006
How can Mr Low gave such an idea. It's suicidal when Global Crossing, which counts Singapore's Temasek Holdings as its biggest shareholder, lost US$50 million, or US$1.40 a share, down from US$94 million, or US$4.56 a share, a year ago. Couple with the uncertainty to the shin corps deal now.
Help the needy? Yes, but PAP and opposition MPs differ on how to do so
DIFFERENT STROKES: Mr Low clashed with Dr Balakrish- nan over whether the Government's social safety net should be a permanent and unconditional one.
WP's Low urges Govt not to be fearful of helping poor
COMMUNITY Development Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and opposition MP Low Thia Khiang ended on the same side yesterday - on the stand that no needy citizen should be left without government aid.
But that was all the two could see eye-to-eye about.
In a civil but volley-for-volley exchange, the pair disputed whether the Government's social safety net should be a 'permanent, unconditional' one.
The minister sparked the match when he highlighted Mr Low's Workers' Party manifesto on its website which states that assistance to citizens should be given on an 'unconditional, permanent needs-based' basis.
Dr Balakrishnan, who oversees youth and sports policies, criticised the model.
'Firstly, it's unsustainable: You will run bankrupt sooner or later. Secondly, you are not doing the people you are trying to help any favours. And third, you erode the work ethic that is at the heart of the success and identity of Singapore,' he said.
'That's the big difference between WP and us,' summed up the PAP minister.
Dr Balakrishnan then noted that Mr Low and his party colleague Non- Constituency MP Sylvia Lim had not spoken about a 'permanent' and 'unconditional' safety net, and wondered aloud if the opposition members had had a 'change of position'.
'If you have, we welcome you to the club and we will definitely work with you to improve our social safety net,' he said.
That drew a swift rebuttal from Mr Low, who rose to declare that the WP had not changed its mind.
He said: 'We believe people need some certainty. You've got to give people that certainty, especially under the condition of structural unemployment and... because a lot of jobs are on contract.
'We should provide people with the confidence that the Government will help them if they are in trouble.'
Dr Balakrishnan replied that indeed, Singaporeans should have every confidence that if they try their best to be self-reliant, they will get help to become so.
As for Mr Low's question on whether help schemes are effective, Dr Balakrishnan said performance indicators are in place to track the outcomes.
He also took pains to stress that 'this Government will not ignore people who need help simply because of a fear of abuse.'
The MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC disclosed that 'in my own constituency, my instructions for anyone who needs help urgently, is that we'll give help first, we'll ask questions later'.
If any constituent tries to abuse the system, 'he can only cheat me once', he noted.
Although we had billions of dollars in our national reserves and some profits from HDB flats and yearly increase in public transportation fares, we must know it is for investment purposes due to our lack of natural resources. We also need to pay our civil servants, police and our elite part-time minister $13k per month. If the social safety net is implemented, our country will definately bankrupt.
Just take a lot at US and Canada. They both has unconditional welfare but their economy is stagnant. In the event we get retrenchment or incapablities compared with foreign talents due to their competitive salary scale, we can still enjoy beautiful cover-walkways and mini gardens in our HDB neighbourhood for leisure. We shouldn't harbour such unreasonable demand and stress our minster further as they need the energy to source for more foreign talents and give them scholarship so that they can lead us.
Instead, we should rack our brains and try to keep the foreign talents here, else they choose to retire like a king back home. Singaporeans must know what is the piority and if in doubt, look to our minster as they will never be wrong. -
this should be in talkingcock -
very nice. -
-
Very nice one. Caramon! -
It is frightening as the Million Poodle houses the same mindset as the Peanut Gang in providing high pay to themselves and overcharging the whining peasants.
They have forgotten that the money paid to them are blood money from the pathetic peasants that they have beginning to define as "whiners".
I believe that Miss Mole have shed lots of light about the life in the Peanut City if you are not a Elite or Scholar.
She is not a ignorant little spoiled brat after all.
She is just echoing the same mindset of her elite uncles and aunites who are gifted wealth through wearing white underwear. -
I think maybe the next general election will be more exciting than just misplaced application forms.Originally posted by Medicated Oil:It is frightening as the Million Poodle houses the same mindset as the Peanut Gang in providing high pay to themselves and overcharging the whining peasants.
They have forgotten that the money paid to them are blood money from the pathetic peasants that they have beginning to define as "whiners".
I believe that Miss Mole have shed lots of light about the life in the Peanut City if you are not a Elite or Scholar.
She is not a ignorant little spoiled brat after all.
She is just echoing the same mindset of her elite uncles and aunites who are gifted wealth through wearing white underwear. -
By the next moment of truth, the same thing will happen to pathetic peasants who have lived and breathed the "elite" system.
Read "Animal Farm".
The sad truth about the pathetic peasants is that they have been brought up to live, believe and support the elite system.
They are too caught-up with material pursuit (Car, Condo, Credit Card) and worrying about their children in getting into the "elite" to realise the true scenerio of their eventual future.
They are just a bunch of helpless and dumb golden goose who are :
- Laying golden eggs for the farmers to enjoy their million dollar lifestyle,
- Blamed for the mistakes made by the farmers in losing golden eggs due to poor investment decision,
- Labelled as "whiners" in trying to improve the farm living condition,
- Called a "quitter" for leaving the farm,
- Spending time serving farm security while swan just flew in from other terrority and offered free food by the farmers,
- Lay some much golden eggs, put into a fund and never really get to taste their golden harvest as they are not "mature" to manage the eggs.
- Discarded to wasteland when they can no longer able to lay any golden egg -
I think there are alot of scholar ship for those who are poor to study and live etc... Only nothing for those who can't for a job and those who didn't study hard before and end up with a lower paid job... There are plenty of Jobs.... just whether if they wants to do it or not... Well the whinners like to complain about the good jobs from the foreign talents... btw They are talents... what are the whinners? Sec Sch Drop out? Want to compare to the FT? I believe everything is fair... if you work hard in life... you get what you want... stop complaining and start working... don't expect others to give you anything.... I am glad that Singapore didn't give out those social $$ to the jobless.... I'm not gonna pay 40% of my pay for taxes for these whinner sorry..
I'm not supporting any party in particular but I think.... sorry the whinner... I rather you are dead somewhere else than using my 40% pay every month to pay for your beer money... -
u post this in politics forum lah..and your comment...
and you will be shot down very fast... -
You are very much like Borat or Ali G.
I read your articles merely for entertainment purpose and wit, definitely not for content. -
SINGAPORE: The Goods and Services Tax will be increased to 7 percent, from the current 5 percent. This was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Parliament on Monday.
Wow, it was indeed another stroke of genius by our beloved PM Lee. By increasing the GST, we can definately help the poor and not bankrupt the country. By asking everyone to chip in including the poor who even have problems laying food on the table, he is giving out a signal that we are united.
Mr Lee said more details would be given in next year's Budget Speech which has been scheduled for 15 February.
The Prime Minister made the announcement when responding to the issues raised by MPs over 4 days of debate - among them the widening income gap in Singapore as a result of globalisation.
Stressing that globalisation was here to stay, and Singaporeans would have to deal with its impact, Mr Lee said this was something that could strain the country's social compact, and this was why it was essential that there would be a whole set of measures to tilt playing field in favour of the lower income group.
Adding that the GST increase would help finance enhanced social safety nets to help this group, Mr Lee said it was better to raise the GST when the economy was doing well. - CNA /dt
All for one and one for all. What a great idea. Who dare says our government had run out of idea after several dismay investment when yet again they pull the rabbits out of the hat. By imprementing good solutions of providing safety nets to poor peasant without unconditional welfare and bankrupt the country's economy, surely our elite government deserved to be paid high class salary compared to the world.
I salute you. *SALUTED*