We said it last time – truth be told – and it needs to be said again: the problem isn’t immigration.
It’s entitlement without accountability.
In our previous article, we coined the term “generational Centrelinkers” – not to insult, but to confront a painful truth.
There is a growing segment in Australia where families have been on government support for two, three, sometimes four generations.
It has become normalised. Expected. Even strategised.
Let’s be real: the system is broken when working full-time, pays barely more than Centrelink – and working hard comes with less support than doing nothing.
Where’s the incentive to contribute?
We have nurtured countless young single mothers, through our community service.
One common example, with four children all under 10, all from different fathers.
Most of these women are kind, intelligent, and could thrive with the right support and guidance.
But when you ask about their life, it is a reflection of what they saw growing up:
“Mum was a single parent too. We all lived in housing. It’s just what who we are.”
With four kids, a single parent can earn up to $2,000 per fortnight, receive subsidised housing, discounted utilities, free or heavily subsidised childcare, school support, and a range of local council grants.
In contrast, someone earning $100,000 a year only takes home about $2,400 per fortnight after tax.
Then pays full price for everything.
Rent or mortgage. $70+ per child per day in childcare. Health insurance. Rego. Petrol. Bills. And no handouts.
So the question is: why bother working?
We’re not here to judge every Centrelink recipient.
Support should exist for those in genuine need – single parents, elderly, displaced, injured.
But when generations are born into learned helplessness, it’s a national crisis.
We are now rewarding disengagement and raising children without a model of contribution, resilience, or responsibility.
When role modelling is missing, children mirror what they see.
If they see Centrelink as the norm, they will aspire to Centrelink.
Monkey see, monkey do. But who’s holding the mirror?
Meanwhile… we blame immigrants?
We turn around and blame immigrants for housing prices, health delays, job shortages – yet they are the ones:
• Working the jobs no one else wants (hospitality, aged care, farming).
• Paying $10,000+ in visa fees, often no access to Medicare or Centrelink.
• Buying homes with hard-earned savings, not handouts.
• Role modelling values of family, education, and perseverance.
We call them “queue jumpers” while they’re picking our fruit, cleaning our hospitals, serving our meals, and paying taxes without accessing public safety nets. Most can’t. Their visas don’t allow it.
So how are they the problem?
Let’s be blunt – Australia is becoming a land of double standards.
We talk about fairness. But how fair is it that an immigrant working three jobs can’t afford childcare, while someone on benefits for five years pays nothing and gets bonus payments?
We talk about values. But what values are we teaching when choosing not to work comes with more perks than pulling your weight?
We talk about equality. But what does that mean when immigrants face stricter rules, more scrutiny, and fewer benefits – while contributing more?
Truth be told, here’s what needs to change:
1. Audit and reform Centrelink dependency
Identify and intervene where generational dependency exists. Support must be a bridge – not a bed. Time limits. Work, study or volunteer requirements. Accountability.
2. Mandatory community contribution
If you’re receiving full benefits and physically capable, you should be giving back: local clean-ups, aged care assistance, tutoring, training, something. Not to punish – to rewire purpose. We can talk about National Service, but that’s a whole other topic!
3. Values-based education and role modelling
Schools should embed civic pride, financial literacy, resilience, and contribution into every year level. Let’s teach kids what it means to be a responsible citizens, and not just Centrelink numbers.
4. Stop penalising working Australians
Raise thresholds, adjust tax scales. It shouldn’t feel like you are being penalised for trying to do the right thing.
5. Don’t let fear silence the truth
Stop pandering to headlines and unions. Australia needs leaders with backbone – not those chasing votes through handouts. A strong nation is built on shared values, not shared victimhood.
We are Australians – let’s act like it.
We’re not from England, Malaysia, India or China. This is our home. Our only home. And we’re tired of watching it slide into mediocrity propped up by slogans and spin.
We want Australia to be a land of:
• Equal opportunity, not equal handouts.
• Mateship, not manipulation.
• Pride, not pity.
It starts with stopping the rise of ‘generational Centrelinkers.’
We’re not here to judge – we are here to push a redesigning of a system that supports contribution, not one that gets exploited.
