One of the biggest paradoxes is that our politicans recieve every red cent of benefit that they (maybe) entitled too. Our retired politicans cost the earth on their australian taxpayer funded welfare scheme and details are kept secret on how much is actually spent on them.

Former Prime Minister John Howard has spent a few million on offices etc.

At the same time, I think this was introduced during the Howard era, where trolling and clawing back social security payments has helped balance the budget, so the it was the poor who can least afford it who helped pay for bringing the budget into surplus, whilst retired politicans help spend the surplus on themselves.

Paradoxically the way the social security system is designed, actually works as disincentive to employment, yet the big stick is applied.

Look at the socalled benefit where someone older than 55 can put their income through the super scheme, the only ones who really benefit are those who earn more than 100k.

Good article

There is no doubt that our social welfare system needs much reform to make it fairer.

The government has made this much harder by being so generous to pensioners. In any introduction of a "base" welfare benefit for all there will always be a "no one worse off" clause which can only lead to all benefit recipients having to be brought up to the level of pensioners. I dont think any government is likely to want to increase the welfare budget that much (or at all for that matter).
Far easier to continue the demonising, defamation of the unemployed and hope they top themselves or die off by neglect.
All I can say people is watch very carefully because the same fate awaits the rest of you if you dont stand up.

"They came to take the Communists, but I said nothing, because I was not a Communist. They came to take the Catholics, but I said nothing, because I was a Protestant. And finally, They came to take me, but I said nothing, for I was guilty."

You know, it's a bit hard for an age pensioner to "correct" their problem. Likewise a single parent can't "fix" that situation all that quickly. The unemployed can overcome their problem quite quickly. Centrelink actually pay for transport to areas of available work, for those who want to work.

With Oz having to import hundreds of thousands of workers every year, it is not all that hard for the unemployed to get un-unemployed.

WE have fruit & vegetables rotting all over Oz because the farmer can't find anyone to pick them. Without backpackers doing this we would never get it done.

If these people don't want to do the work available, I can see no reason for everyone else to pay their way for them. Unemployment benefits are not to allow people to live a normal life, & pay the bills. They are to help them, while finding another job, so they can pay the bills themselves.

If Cassandra wants to help them more, perhaps she should buy some disposal army tents. She could loan these to those too lazy to work for a roof over their heads.

I agree with Hasbeen.

Pensioners & the disabled aside, there is really no excuse to have been unemployed for more than a few weeks in this country over the last decade given the unprecedented prosperity.
Any longer than that, and I'm sorry but you can go and work in a mine, clean office blocks, or drive a cab. All of those are decent options, but these dole bludgers expect the people who work for a living to support their laziness, which is just rotten.

What is more rotten than these lazy parasites, is that hardcore lefties like Cassandra are happy for the rest of us to stump up for it, since it keeps her in a job.

The less money they dole out to bludgers, the more incentive for them to get a job.

"Good article" says Chris Lewis: good in what sense Chris?

The brief article by the recently appointed professional manager of THE Poor, THE homeless, THE unemployed and the
generalised 'Needy' - said by some to be a blight on our 'Rich Country', is merely a standardised partial DESCRIPTION
and reiteration of the socio-economic structure of our fractured community. It is also yet another little piece of
self-promotion for a self-proclaimed 'leading organisation' within the burgeoning Charity INDUSTRY that although powerless to change that structure, nevertheless provides paid employment and career opportunities for middle class 'professionals' such as Ms Goldie.

The 680,000 recipients of Newstart Allowance (official figures only!) act as a reserve army of unemployed who, along with thousands of 'skilled immigrants' to this country who drive taxis and clean the offices and private residences of the rich and famous among us, are an everyday reminder to those still with jobs that hard labour and long hours for low pay (unless you are a member of one of the few remaining unions with any integrity and political muscle) is not to be complained about, less they too have a burning desire to join the dole queues.

The process of 're-structuring the economy' - begun under the Hawke-Keating regime and further executed with great zeal under the divisive 'leadership' of Howard has left the Australian polity seriously divided into The Haves and The Have-nots. No amount of pseudo-scholarly articles, submissions to government and so on will ever change this harsh reality.

Back in the sixties I had to move a couple of thousand kilometres from home to find employment in my chosen profession. Best thing I ever did. Those who are perpetually unemployed should stop wingeing and do likewise.

David

Welfare is like an addiction.
No matter the level of benefits, it will never be enough.
Expectations simply increase.
A possible cure is coupons/vouchers to meet basic human needs:
Food, clothing, shelter, health, education.
Why should other taxpayers fund cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, entertainment, fast food, brand-name clothing, mobile phones, DVD's, etc, for those who don't work?
Recipients should be grateful for having their basic needs met and the desire for luxuries can be satisfied by finding a job, any job.

Sowat:

Well stated. I could add a couple of peripheral points to round off your sentiments. John Howard was responsible for the shift of responsibility for the jobless from Government control to private enterprise and closure of the Commonweal unemployment service further distancing Government from the realities of the unemployed. To the Government they are a divorced statistic.

To the Proxy’s of these posts: In my own close proximity to the unemployed I observe the slow and insidious decline of hope and its effect on morale of the unemployed. I observe the impossibility of existence on the pittance handed out and the anxiety caused by the attempt to do so. I observe the loss of independence as people are forced to move back to families often aged parents or often in the case of the young, to situations they needed escape from.

Unemployment is often embedded in families over generations and has become the lifestyle of survival to its members, to deal in drugs the acceptable means to top up unemployment benefits and too often become members of the prison “Industry” as a result; chased for the term of their natural life with a criminal record to be used against them at every turn, especially in potential employment.

I observe the demands on the unemployed to contribute thirty hours or more voluntary work per week or lose the dole only adding to the demeaning nature of unemployment.

Now Proxy, give me some benefits that may flow from unemployment since, by the contents of your post you appear to believe it to be their fault, and so much fun and enjoyment for them to be idle in society while all the good folk go out to work and suffer

Go easy there Diver, you'll have me bleeding all over my key board.

DIVER DAN says:

//To the Proxy’s of these posts: In my own close proximity to the unemployed I observe the slow and insidious decline of hope and its effect on morale of the unemployed. I observe the impossibility of existence on the pittance handed out and the anxiety caused by the attempt to do so.//

It's impossible to give you realistic benefits DD because with Kenworth 'process workers' getting $28/hour and Sparkies getting $150,000 at the Desal plant (which will show up in our water bills)...the value of your benefits is being eroded by GREEEEED and thuggish EXTORTION.

It's not helped by the same greed among CEO's and ENGINEERS who all dig in to the fallen carcase of OUR society for their share of the blood and gore.

Unfortunately.. 'benefit's are not 'entitlements'... you are not entitled to anything. You can start small though... get a mower.. put out an ad and start mowing LAWNS or something.. a lot of others have.

ALGOREisRICH/Hasbeen:

This venue is of course no place to write a thesis on the unemployed and their plight, which to be fair to the subject matter it would require.

As an observer with an opinion to express based on observation mainly, I chose (in the above post) to highlight those in my field of view on the lower end of the social scale: But of course there are the lucky ones in the unemployed ranks that do not qualify for sympathy. As I said, that lucky element is excluded from comment above.

I disagree AGisR that a social benefit is not a right. Sorry, but in our society it is. So to be a benefit why not make it a worthwhile benefit that suits the circumstances of the individual instead of a “One size fits all” nonsense that the hotchpotch called “New Start allowance” currently is?

To take another step outside your square, I propose that social service spending should not be reduced (as the pressure is for that achievement in some European countries such as Ireland currently) but increased by more equitable and responsible spending of the tax dollar achievable (in this case) by Government take-over of the failed and overly duplicated and wasteful job network NGO’s, restoring responsibility given them by the tax payer to the efficiencies of the pre “private provider” era so promoted by Howard that has proved itself unworkable and a failed example of economy