The cold, hard slap of reality hates Australia

Was this inevitable, or was this inevitable?

Debt-ridden middle class cry poor

DEBT-stricken families with new homes, cars and plasma televisions in Sydney's sprawling housing estates are relying on charity handouts to buy food. Welfare agencies report a worrying increase in the number of middle-income families with big mortgages seeking help to pay grocery, electricity and gas bills.

Dubbed the "pay-later poor'' by St Vincent de Paul, they live in homes boasting cable television and the latest electrical goods and use credit cards to meet basic living costs.

Many of the families live in so-called McMansions.

(Paul Zanetti)

But . . . but Michael Duffy told me the McMansion lifestyle is the way to go. All the cool people are doing it.