'I'm as happy as a pig in mud': Aussie spends his $750 stimulus payment on eight cases of VB beer - but the move sparks a fiery debate

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Kelsey Wilkie and Levi Parsons - Daily Mail Australia




An Australian man has proudly spent his $750 stimulus payment on eight cases of Victoria Bitter.

He was one of six million Australians who received the one-off payment from the government to ward off a looming recession brought on by the coronavirus crisis.

As soon as the money was in his account he headed to the bottle shop to stock-up on beer.

'I've just spent my stimulus money, I've got eight slabs in there and that should last me about eight days,' he said in a video shared online.

'I'm as happy as a pig in mud.'

Some social media users hailed him a hero for spending the cash rather than saving it.

'That's exactly what it was intended for, spend it on taxable items, keep our economy afloat,' one man wrote.

'I work 28 days a month and pay mammoth amounts of tax and this makes me happy..... good on him,' added another.

'How do you know this bloke hasn't been working for the past 35 years? Good on ya mate, have a beer for me,' wrote a third in the man's defense.

However, a number of people expressed frustration that taxpayer money was being spent on alcohol when it could have been used to help out small businesses.

'What a dog, the alcohol is most highly taxed anyway so some of the money going right back to the government,' one person wrote.

'Lucky guy, I need mine to pay my rent and buy food, had to isolate by doctors orders due to lung condition,' wrote another.

The stimulus payments, which are part of the Government's two-part $17.6 billion stimulus package announced on March 12, come as the Australian economy has ground to a sudden halt after extreme measures were put in place to slow the spread of the deadly virus.

Most businesses have been forced to close indefinitely, with all cafes and restaurants now offering a takeaway service only.

Thousands of Australians have been left without work as a result.



The payments are to go to anyone already receiving income support, which includes pensioners, veterans, Job seekers (Newstart), Youth Allowance recipients and more.

The money started hitting bank accounts on Tuesday, with a second $750 payment for welfare recipients and pensioners coming in July.

Those who are entitled to the benefit and who don't receive the money in their accounts should call Centrelink or log on to their MyGov accounts to check for updates.

Small, medium and not-for-profit businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million will also be eligible for a handout under the plan.

Tax-free payments from $20,000 up to $100,000 will be given out automatically through the Australian Taxation Office, to help companies retain staff between January 1 and June 30.

The Government believes this will help about 7.8 million employees in 700,000 businesses.

'Our targeted stimulus package will focus on keeping Australians in jobs and keeping businesses in business so we can bounce back strongly,' Scott Morrison said when he announced the stimulus.

'The economy needs temporary help right now to bounce back better so the livelihoods of all Australians are protected.'

While the $750 payments will be a welcomed sight for millions of Australians, Westpac Bank chief economist Bill Evans has warned they are unlikely to save Australia from a recession.


The economic impact of COVID-19 starts to be felt as
people queue for access to a Centrelink Service Centre
in Sydney

'The Government's Fiscal Stimulus Package is a bold initiative to bolster the Australian economy's defences against the damage likely to be wrought by COVID-19,' Mr Evans said.

'However, the current domestic and global environment has deteriorated more rapidly than we had expected … despite the Government's bold efforts the June quarter is still likely to show negative growth and Australia will experience a technical recession.'

Westpac forecasts around 800,000 jobs will be lost as a result of the coronavirus crisis, which will see Australia's unemployment rate hit 11 percent by June.

[lost in melb.]

Man's gotta eat

[Griffin]

$90.00 a case ... how do you people afford to drink beer?