"Low paid workers love working nights, weekends" - Abbott

WTF? This proves beyond a shadow of any doubt, that Tony Abbott has not the slightest idea about the lives of people with low incomes. Check out Abbott's announcement about low paid workers:

It was astounding to hear him state, “If you’re a low-paid worker, one of the things you often love to do is work late nights, weekends, because it does substantially increase your income.” Yes, Tones baby, I’m sure that all those who work on Christmas Day do it because they just love to be at work, earning much-needed cash to pay the bills, instead of being at home with their family and friends. more

Is he serious? I worked 10 years straight on afternoon shift, and the only reason I did it was because it was the only job going at the time and I needed another job after the last place went under. So I was hired for permanent afternoon shift. The 20% on top of the day time rate became simply part of my normal wage, and it was very much needed as I was raising my daughter and looking after my disabled wife. 

So how the hell does Abbott call that a "substantial increase" in my wage? In reality, if Abbott had been around and killed penalty rates, I would've ended up with a substantial decrease in my income. More to the point my wife would've been able to go back on the DSP as my wage would've dropped significantly (she got cut off the DSP when I took the job as my wage went over the income limits).

Other than that, I'd have to say that shift work does things to you. It's been proven that people who work night shift live shorter than people who don't. It's simply not natural to be working against the daylight. Also it's very isolating. You pretty much end up living in a different time zone to everyone else. You have no social life as you're working every Friday night. I did it because I had to, but honestly I'd not recommend it if you had a choice.