On 10 September 2024, I spoke about Star Casino asking for a government bailout only two weeks after opening in Brisbane

The new Star casino opened in Brisbane not even two weeks ago and is now asking for a government bailout, asking for billions of dollars to go out the door to prop up the gambling industry.

It's a classic case of socialism for the rich but rugged individualism for everyone else.

These giant corporations do not play by the same rules that the rest of us do. When they need help, governments of all persuasions go above and beyond to provide absolutely everything they need to be able to keep their failing business models going. No-one else across the economy gets that level of support.

This is an economy that has been created by both major parties over the last few decades: one rule for the multinational corporation and another rule for everyone else.

It's a matter of priorities, of choices. What governments do, and often what they don't do, speaks volumes. The actions and inactions of the government help to determine what kind of society we will become. So when we hear stories from Australia and around the world about the necessity of bailing out enormous companies—banks, casinos and the like—while at the same time poverty increases and homelessness gets worse it makes sense that people are very angry.

These actions make people angry because they always come at a time when everyday people are struggling. People can't afford their rents or mortgages. The cost of groceries is skyrocketing. We are told the government are doing everything they can to help people, but there's always got to be a few billion kept aside just in case a multinational company or a billionaire need a bailout or a nuclear submarine needs buying.

There's just never enough for public and social services.