The Hard Working Australian
When I studied English at University one of the lasting
imprints on my consciousness, put there by more than one of the lecturers, was
the fact that our language, unlike Latin, continues to evolve. What a phrase,
expression or even a word that was universally accepted as meaning something in
1948, can mean something quite different in 2018. The word “gay” springs to
mind, as does the word “nice”. Nice once meant silly, foolish or simple, far
from the complimentary meaning it has now.
As a teenager I would have thought that the expression “hard
working Australian” had a simple enough meaning. Somehow a particular band of
politicians have managed to hijack these words to create an exclusive section
of our country who are toiling away, being exploited, always struggling to make
ends meet and deserving of more government assistance.
This assistance is provided by the government from taxes
collected. From whom? Surely not the hardworking Australians who are too busy
working hard and not making enough money to provide a pool of tax money.
Very curious!
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