Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Life Choices

I've just had an idea for a great reality TV show. Its beautifully simple, and it would be incredibly cheap to make.
I would find a wealthy family, and challenge them to live on a Centrelink income.
It would have to be for a longish period, like maybe three months. I probably would have no trouble finding the family, because many people like to deny the existence of poverty in Australia, and believe it is the result of nothing but poor budgeting. I'm sure they would love a chance to try and prove the crypto commie lefty whingers wrong.
I would make the conditions as realistic as possible. They would not be allowed to bring any of their own possessions, not even their underwear.
At the beginning of the period they would be sent to Goodwill with vouchers allowing them to pick clothes for themselves, according to the number of items a family in need would normally be allowed to pick for themselves: two pairs of pants, two jumpers etc per person.
Then, they would have to find somewhere to live. Low income people are far more likely to be renting privately than living in public housing, although they are given a small payment for rent assistance.
Then they would have to spend the next three months living in the house, in whatever area they had 'chosen' to live, knowing the amount of money available. On their income of probably about $200 per week, they would have to feed themselves, run an old car if they had 'chosen' to buy it, entertain themselves if they 'chose' to, and pay any bills that came in if they 'chose' to get the electricity connected or use heating. They would have to pay any medical or pharmaceutical expenses that arose if they 'chose' to get sick.
Because life's all about choices these days.
Of course, nothing could really give them the depressed mental state that comes from the drudgery of living in poverty. They would know that this was just an experiment, and that they could go back to their old lives and their high income at the end of the period, which would be a cheering thought unthinkable for a real family living in these circumstances.
What the reality TV show would do, is answer the question about whether or not poverty in Australia is really due to poor financial management, or the inadequacy of our social welfare system.

1 Comments:

At 6:58 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Definitely the inadequacy of our Social Welfare system. What about a reverse experiment where you take a poor family and put them in a mansion with unlimited funds, food and clothing for three months? I'd be first in line. I "choose" to be rich,heh-heh.

 

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