Oregon

You're right, actually -- let's talk about that. In reality, a system like I described would never be acceptable. I was being hyperbolic to emphasize that the idea of fraud doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it must operate within the bounds of reality, of course.

Based on your responses I can guess you are a person of reason and not a troll, so I want to appeal to you as a human being. I spent some time looking at the example you gave, the NDIS. They've been in the headlines recently for fraud-related arrests, so I imagine that caught your attention? If you read nothing else, please keep this in mind:

Publications emphasizing welfare fraud, especially without number citations, are trying to undermine your confidence in that system and associate anyone using it with criminals.

The NDIS supports roughly 750k people with a budget of $70b (Butler, the Health Minister, aims to reduce this to 600k and $50b by 2030). If you see numbers in headlines about "plot to defraud NDIS of $200m", remember that's not realized fraud, only what would be if they were not stopped. Some realized numbers from a recent press release from the NDIS:

Since the Taskforce was established in November 2022: 
* Courts have ordered the return of $3.5 million illegally obtained by criminals
* $50 million worth of assets linked to NDIS fraud have been seized by the AFP and state-based partners, including properties, gold and silver bullion and luxury vehicles
* more than 170 search warrants have been executed supporting NDIA investigations
* more than 660 investigations have been launched across 120-plus operations
* over 400 investigations are connected to the NDIS
* 60 individuals have been referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) for criminal prosecution.

These numbers are not nothing, but it is eclipsed by the total output of the program. Wherever you got the notion that fraud is rampant and it's never just a few, I implore you to reconsider that as a valid source of information because they probably just want you to hate the poor and disabled. And recognize, too -- the few people committing fraud are being caught! From what I can tell, the NDIS is a healthy, functioning system that gives over a half-million people a chance at dignity and comfort.

I didn't post links to any news articles for time reasons, but please let me know if you find anything that you want to discuss further, I am open to it. I'm not directing any frustration at you, but this whole conversation is very evocative of the myth of the "welfare queen" that has been debunked over and over and over.