Australia鈥檚 shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, has . He argues the 鈥渁ge of entitlement鈥� in the West must be brought to an end by governments winding back the role of the state. Absent this measure, the West will not stay economically competitive in the Asian century.
By entitlements, Hockey means welfare spending 鈥� the system of income transfers designed to distribute income to achieve such things as social security.