*Take a look at who is not employing people at risk of long term disadvantage, and make them.*

Hang on NaomiMelb, we are not a communist State!

Employers choose to risk their life savings in their businesses,
they are not compelled to. They are thus free to hire who they
see is fit for the job. Govt has made it harder to fire people.
No wonder employers are cautious. If they get it wrong, their
business can go down the toilet.

So you have two choices. Make it easier to fire people, then
employers will be less cautious and take a chance.

Or the Govt can hire them, train them etc.

You have as little right to compel employers to hire somebody,
as I have the right to take money from your bank account to
hire them.

I did work it out myself Yabby but it was a hard slog and some assistance would have made a difference probably ensuring I was back in the workforce sooner. Not everyone has the same skills and abilities.

If I was not lucky enough to have an understanding husband I would have been on welfare costing the taxpayer more money. I would not want that as anything but a last resort. I suspect people with disabilities cost much less to taxpayers than the numerous bail outs, farming subsidies or business incentives costing the taxpayer millions of dollars per year.

No-one seems to balk at the humane approach to disaster relief yet the idea of someone with a disability receiving support is met with howls of indignation.

I am not advocating a Nanny State in the extreme sense that you suppose, only a basic safety net. In fact there are many areas in which I think governments should not be involved particularly as there are so many demands now on the public purse, the most essential of services are degraded. You may not agree, but I think one of the essential services is community support for those who for some reason cannot work. Otherwise we would not be much better than the Third World where many people live in poverty and on the streets. Not something to aspire to as the impact snowballs and affects everyone whether it be increased crime rates, disease and other costs to communities.

As the author says the problem is often not that people don't want to work it is employers not giving people a chance.

It is unfair to use the example of the minority of bad eggs to assume that most people receiving government assistance are not doing the best they can.

OK Yabby, yes, "make" is a strong word. It's a Monday, cut me some slack!

But there are many ways to create an environment wherein employers are more open to employing people at risk of long term disadvantage. Your solution is one option, and I would think identifying the best option comes from actually talking to employers, not haranguing the unemployed.

Sure, business is not a charity - but if we accept a right to seek reduced corporate tax rates, and we accept the right to form lobby groups to protect their interests - then we also accept that there is a responsibility to employ fairly.

That means stepping up in taking a share of employing individuals aho are traditionally pushed out of the market - remember, that group used to include women. I would suggest that changing the discrimination laws was pretty close to "making" business employ women.

david f,

Australia needs Democracy not Parties.

Australians need clarity, accountability to the cent of their tax dollar.

And not only Australians have this need. All people of the world do.

Ms. Rachel Siewert’s talk is empty political talk that gives her a stake in the gullibility of electors for the next term elections.

A country as Australia, with a Tax Law indecipherable for its length and complexity (some thirteen thousand pages of it), makes wonders for Politicians and Lawyers but not for Equity and Justice.

As for welfare: Ms. Siewert does not tell us of whose welfare she is talking about; hers, that of the six hundred and fifty odd Australian welfare organizations (whose CEF’s deal in tax-free business for their personal welfare) or, lastly, the welfare of the really disadvantaged people?

Ms. Siewert, I am sure, has never given to Australians anything but words.

Again just briefly: Rachel I really would appreciate a response to my proposal to tie support for the governments 'Work for the Dole' proposals to real increases in Newstart. (at least $50/week)

I realise Rachel may not even be reading this; But I hope she is; And if she is not I would appreciate a response from anyone else from The Greens.

*but it was a hard slog*

Ah Pelican, you poor little thing :) I remind you that nobody is
born with skills, we all have to learn them as we go. A bit of
adversity teaches us how to cope and teaches us resilience.

That is exactly why so many East Germans failed so miserably, when
they were reunited with the West. They were so used to the Nanny
State, they had lost the ability to think and act for themselves.

Create a Nanny State, people will lose their ability to solve their
own problems and expect a Nanny State, feeling hard done by when
it does not change their nappies. To some extent we have that now,
because that is how many parents brought up their kids.

*then we also accept that there is a responsibility to employ fairly*

Naomi, they do employ fairly, ie the best person for the job. Mind
you, the standards required to be a checkout chick, or a dishwasher
in some restaurant, or a cleaner, are not out of this world. People
have to learn to start at the bottom and work up.

There is simply a whole pool out there who might say they want to
work, but when you ask them to turn up in the morning, they either
don't turn up, or they have a drug issue, or a booze issue, etc.
Employers have to watch the safety laws. If they don't seem sane,
you can't let them near machinery or anything really.

Fact is, in Australia we have it so good, that people can choose
not to work because they simply can't be bothered. We'll still clothe
and feed them and give them medical care.

When I had my seafood export business, between that and the farm,
about 30 people a year went through the books, some part time, some
full time. I judged everyone by their will to turn up. That gave
me a pretty good insight into what is out there and that people
claiming to want to work, don't actually mean it all the time