Howard's "Deadbeat Dad State" does a runner

Howard's Daddy State is acting like an abusive husband toward his welfare bride and dependants.

DH's Newstart interview yesterday, left her reeling in shock with the Howard Government's absolute contempt for natural justice, (details in next blog entry), and got her thinking.

If Howards Centrelink had a personality, what would it be?

Consider the profile of a battering husband.

1. Control freak. Wants to know every aspect of bride's movements. Suspects bride of being in sexual relationship with any person of the opposite sex who enters the house, and will send spies to check her toothbrush collection if necessary.
   
2. Paranoid tendancies. Needs constant reassurance of bride's fidelity. Forces her to keep diary detailing every movement, and checks it regularly
   
3. Belittles and demeans bride at every opportunity till the downward spiral of low self-esteem becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Humiliates her in public at every opportunity.
   
4. Financially abusive. Is filthy rich, has money to burn when it comes to private detectives to keep bride under surveillance, and for junkets with his big-end mates, but controls domestic purse strings so tightly that there is barely enough to feed the children. Bride cannot afford decent clothes or haircuts so becomes shame-ridden and begins to hide away from friends and networks that might support her. May dream of escape, but without the busfare to town, never makes it. Besides, husband has used clout in local chamber of commerce to run domestic violence shelters out of town.
   
5. Has his way with her whenever he feels like it.
   
6. In public passes himself off as pillar of community.