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I've been thinking...

Sitting back in the comfort of my old rocking chair allows this old timer a bit of a chance to look at the way we are living and ponder on great thoughts.

Well, maybe not great thoughts, but hopefully something meaningful anyway...

On this occasion, the Great Thought Chair got me thinking on Australia five or so years down the track and I can see a very interesting little revolution taking place.

The beauty of this revolution is that it won't be blood and guts everywhere, just Australians deciding for themselves and their families that they are working too hard and need to spend more time with those they love.

This will be achieved passively and by businesses and Government pushing Aussies into part-time or casual work.

For some years now full-time employment has been plunging and more and more people are doing part-time work. This has usually come about by business 'downsizing' and at first many people think 'Uh oh, how will we manage financially?'

It doesn't take long, however, for the benefits to kick in and a less stressed former full-timer rediscovers the joys of home life.

Business is happy, Government sees business is happy, and all will be well with the world.

So they think.

But the great part of the part-time work issue - and I'm not sure that business or Government has actually thought about this - is that people achieve more control over their lives.

They no longer have to blindly accept the onerous duties that full-timers do and their loyalty to the boss - that is company loyalty - more closely matches that of the business (sod all loyalty to workers).

At some stage in the not too distant future, bosses are going to realise that they don't have the same controls over workers and that, in the long run, means fewer full-timers doing massive amounts of unpaid overtime.

Individuals may not earn as much, but they also pay less tax. This will eventually hit the tax office very hard indeed and the pro-part-time-work Government will all of a sudden notice a huge drop in its coffers.

Then we will see a major push for full-time work - but people will have adjusted to the thought that work is only there to pay the bills and won't be interested.

So, by 2007, I see a happier little pack of Aussies running around the place enjoying our beautiful land and terrific lifestyle.

I may not be around to see it, but it gives me a warm glow as I sit in the Great Thought Chair. Now rack off, I want to have a snooze....

If there is something that has really got up your nose, let Grumpy Old Coot know at grumpy@webwombat.com