[Bon mots]

Imagine if the government told the people they were responsible to defend themselves? Gosh, makes global hegemony seem pretty silly.

Exactly.
Don't we all pay taxes to the government so that they defend us? I suppose if they made Qantas tax exempt, then they could push them to spend money on their own defense. For all of their existence they have paid taxes to the government to protect them. The government is now saying that it can't... or doesn't want to pay for it.

Tax strike time!

[JohnGalt]

Its a stunning admission from the Australian government that they cannot perform the only role they are allegedly capable of performing, outside of maintaining weights and measures.