Interesting numbers from the European Union make sober reading. The EU has 7 per cent of the world's population, produces 15 per cent of world GDP and provides 50 per cent of world welfare.

During the last eight years, the EU's GDP has remained the same, while China's GDP has grown by 50 per cent and India by more than 30 per cent.

Ironically, it's that same welfare destroying the very thing that made us great in the first place.

While we continue to pay people to be unemployed, pregnant, sick or old, we're going backwards in relation to better systems.

The truth is we cannot afford to pay so many people to do nothing. And we all need to work smarter and harder.

We also need to continue to design, create and deliver great products and services to keep up with the best. Some of us are.

But there's a huge number who are a dead weight for the rest of us.
Still, more than 300,000 working-age people receive benefits.
Too many. Something's got to give.

Graeme Martin, Otumoetai.