Higher incomes are a reflection of a higher capacity and higher output and one should not be castigated because of that. Higher income earners lose a bigger proportion of their total income in tax, and it is this higher taxation income that is is used to fund transfer payments to the less well off.

The reduction in the taxation concessions for superannuation self-sacrifice will ultimately result in higher pension costs down the track as less income will be deferred and more income tax paid in the short term with a longer-term cost in terms of pension support. This is a much more complex issue than can be addressed in a simple throwaway line of “tax avoidance”.

As it appears to be just too hard or too costly to actually build enough public housing - how about subsidising (private) landlords to provide low income housing, to maintain the properties in decent condition, and to provide much longer lease terms.

It would at least be a start to giving people access to decent housing without having to get onto the ludicrous rental merry-go-round of the private housing market where they far too often live in properties that are barely maintained in liveable condition, have no assurance of being able to stay in the property for more than a year if they are lucky - assuming of course that they can even find somewhere to live in the first place.

The excuse that housing is a State government issue does not wash - so are education, health and transport - and the Federal Government is not shy about providing Budget funding in these areas.