“Rack off!” Dick Smith launches attack on Australia’s rich

Reading anything that ends with “we don’t want you in this country – rack off,” will usually send a shiver down the spine of any well-reared Australian.

So why is former Australian of the Year Dick Smith ignoring his mother’s voice in the back of his head and telling people to pack their bags?

The outspoken Mr Smith recently told The Sydney Morning Herald that he is ready to “out” the rich who do not donate to charities, hoping it will embarrass the rich enough to get them to open up their wallets.

“We’ve got to get it so if you’re wealthy it is an obligation to become a philanthropist. Otherwise we don’t want you in this country – rack off,” Mr Smith told the newspaper.

Mr Smith said he had discovered more than 2000 people who had declared more than $1 million annual income, but had not claimed any charitable donations on tax.

"I am absolutely disgusted that most of the wealthy are so utterly selfish and I can't work out how everyone lets them get away with it,” Mr Smith said.

It’s not known if the wealthy people Mr Smith has in his sights have been giving to non-tax-deductible causes (only around 20,000 of the 600,000 community organisations operating in Australia are allowed to offer tax deductions – see here), or if they are giving in other ways.