my wage is approx 24k (and my weekly wage isn't guaranteed!!), my wifes is about 40k, we have a mortgage, a car loan, numerous credit debt, a 3 1/2 year old that costs us $150 a week for child care alone and we are about to go on our first REAL holiday in 5 years (which just so happens to have been our honeymoon),the only way we are able to afford this holiday is that my father is giving us the airfares as our combined xmas presents, I have a fence that needs replacing, a leaking roof, ceiling that needs painting but can't afford the paint and my car is about due for rego. To say that ANY money is a welcome relief is an understatement. Is Rudd going about it the right way? in my situation YES! overall I don't think he is though. there are much better ways to spend this money and it has all been mentioned here before. IF this goes ahead I will be one of the (THOUSANDS of) people that will try and pay off some of the debt first, which isn't going to help the economy, while how many others are going to sped the money on items straight from overseas, again same situation. There has to be a better way of helping out the low income workers! Obviously I'm not an economic genius, if I was I wouldn't have the above problems so I'm going to leave it at that.