Quite a good article. There has been some shuffling of the deck chairs when it comes to News Start and Disability payments. One thing that sticks in my craw is that people 55+ can receive News Start but not satisfy the work test - they can volunteer a few hours a week. There will more of that.

On the face of it, the raw numbers seem accurate. And yes tougher disability tests have moved some from DSP to new start, as has the change to PP payments. So?
However, the govt is in no way responsible for the average industry attitude to older workers!
Nor can it be held to account for the slow death of rural towns and villages, particularly those that used to almost entirely depend on rural enterprise, sugar and dairying co-ops etc, for their employment opportunities!
As I recall, it was the Howard govt and its policies that all but destroyed these industries/local manufacture and the movement of rural enterprise to Collins street, tax avoidance farming?
Nor are the states blameless in the small recent increase in unemployment numbers.
That said, we are almost alone in the developed world with significant growth and the lowest unemployment numbers; and an economy the envy of the world!
And that is solely down to current govt policy!
However, I see even harder tougher times ahead, which no current govt/green straight jacket/alliance, will/can mitigate.
What we need is a change of policy towards offshore mining, with the most promising areas, regardless of label or sacred cow disposition, opened up to serious "public" exploitation!
Exploitation and revenue/incomes, that could see us entirely avoid the economic pain/new Great Depression loitering on the horizon!
Some serious tax reform/simplification would reduce the load on free enterprise/small business, still the largest employer.
We could do a lot worse than trade away unfair dismissals for a more generous work start payment plan. Which given my druthers, would include a compulsory work component, for the able, of one month full time work for every two months of payments.
Cash strapped local councils could participate, and provide the otherwise idle tools and equipment, in return for free to them, labour?
Various schemes would then become feasible, such as hand grub and burn, permanent progressive noxious weed reduction? And or, pensioner assistance with overgrown yards they can no longer cope with or manage, etc/etc?
Rhrosty.

...My experience through time has taught me, when the unemployment rate was as low as 3%, it was obvious that that 3% consisted of those in society who wouldn’t (and couldn’t) work in an iron lung.

...So assuming that hopeless component in society remains at 3%, then the balance of 2% of the current unemployed, are the element we need to concentrate on to get motivated towards a useful involvement in the workforce. The useful 2% should, I believe, be assisted with a more liberal and generous contribution towards assisting a genuine effort by them, in the (expensive) search for work. They, as a group, should be rewarded with a bonus based on their previous record in the workforce.

...In Chile under Pinochet, workers were rewarded at the end of their working life with a system which provided evidence from an employees work history: Every worker carried a little book to be stamped by successive employers as time went on. The pension was paid commensurate to his successful work record…I think it’s time Australia innovated in that direction!

...That system is also much fairer to older workers who find themselves unemployed after a long working history. The Government assistance is paid in accordance to demonstrated effort in the past. Nothing could be fairer

What? Pinochet was extradited and charged with numerous human rights abuses/genocide and all manner of abuse of power?
Chilean workers are still amongst the lowest paid, [virtual slave wages,] with the fewest workers rights?
The staff are the very life blood of any successful business; [and almost family,] rather than simply a malleable labour market, which seems to treat, blood, bone and flesh, human workers, as little more than a disposable commodity?
Employers ought also carry a little book, which could also be red star stamped with every dismissal, and given an excellent record of staff retention, eligible for business enhancing progressive tax cuts; and or, very low cost govt backed business expansion loans.
That way we would be able to progressively remove the occasional rouge employer/corp psychotic/ruthless Pinochet doppelganger, from actually participating in the labour market; or, expecting various favours, [unpaid overtime etc/etc/etc/etc,] in return for good behaviour gold star stamps, in a book relating to/depending on, future retirement/public health benefits etc?
Rhrosty.

Real tax reform and simplification as outlined, and mathematically proven by me, in previous posts, would add around 30% to the averaged Australian bottom line and around 25%, [averaged,] to household disposables.
The additional household 25%, would then allow the simultaneous imposition of a non contributory 15% super, while still accommodating a 10% increase in discretionary spending or saving; or some combination of both!
Which would also contribute to fewer wage demands, or seriously put the brakes on the dog chasing its tail, prices/wages spiral.
The equally simultaneous creation of a fully franchised brand new peoples' bank; utilising the then extremely large new surpluses, as govt supplied venture capital? Would give displaced number crunchers, other and far more productive employment options/career/wealth creation pathways?
Moreover, the single stand alone unavoidable 4.8 expenditure tax, [collected and transferred; fee free, in return for a continuing banking licence; via the banking system, and their already existing and eminently capable, main frame computer systems,] could be very marginally adjusted; region by region, to alone control all inflation or stagnation; meaning, interest rates could be progressively reduced and permanently maintained at historical lows, to turbo charge the non mining economy, all while putting progressive downward economic pressure, on our over-priced dollar!
A non contributory super scheme set at 15%, would be much better/larger/more generous, on retirement, with a good work record/promotions and wage rises etc.
Which would in turn rely exclusively on a good to excellent work record and participation!
No ruthless mass murdering dictator and his gold star stamps needed here thank-you Diver; just a basic humanity and, DTE bolts and nuts common sense, arguably the rarest commodity of all?
Rhrosty.

...No Rhrosty; I like the “little book of stamps” method. Its fair! It would also eliminate the 48,000 illegal reffos’ who payed big money to get to Australia to obliging Indonesian fishing boats, to simply sit on their non-English speaking fat backsides and collect $50,000 PA indefinitely on the dole. There is little mystery why dole payments are escalating.

...Lets get our house in order in Australia, and pay the dole commensurately as reward to the deserving, to help the genuine out of work "workers" return to employment!