Following on from the previous governments demonisation of those on welfare and its racist intervention in indigenous communities, the current Labor government is heading in the wrong direction with its shame and humiliate policies on income management and other discriminatory and harmful welfare reforms.

The current JobNetwork for the unemployed is an expensive failure that has only enriched the providers and done very little to help the jobless for the amount of taxpayers money it costs. This combined with the expansion necessary when single parents were added to the system has blown out welfare spending massively and led to the situation where many people think the country is awash with millions of layabouts living off the taxpayer teat. The numbers tell a different story.

I propose a way to reduce the cost, stop the denigration and hatred of the jobless and those on welfare, help the community and the jobless and improve our society just a little bit.

Close the job network of privitised employment agencies. Dont replace it. The jobless should have to do a minimum amount of hours on a community related project to receive their payment. Only one or two days a week to keep their hourly rate around the minimum wage. Not slavery of 40 hrs a week for $240 like the new Tory government in the UK is proposing. Just a fair amount of work for what they receive.

Jobs could range from building biketracks, parks, etc to helping the bushfire authorities, beach patrols with the surf lifesaving or helping the SES. Anything, as long as it assists or improves the community. Not private business or anything that will put existing workers out of a job.

It could be called a minimum job rather than the dole and would be available to anyone who dosent have or cant find a job.

The savings would be immense and the benefits to the community (and the unemployed themselves) of having the unemployed contribute rather than just take would be immeasurable.

Much better than the constant hate and divisiveness not to mention wasted dollars of the current mess.

mikk
That is a much better proposition all round. The two days per week could be supplemented with suitable training or skills programs as suits the candidate's abilities and goals.

The privatisation of unemployment in effect has led to the usual rorts from some of the private sector companies including claiming for 'placements' they never made following on from the welfare recipient's own efforts to find work. Too many different cases to go into here, but once you open the flood gates to outsourcing with fewer auditors on the ground to oversight, the costs skyrocket and for no legitimate or worthy end.

Just think insulation and similar problems arise in privatising repairs for government housing - over inflated costs and padding of quotes/bills.

When the government becomes a cash cow it morphs into the virtual money pit.

Your post highlights exactly the problem with keeping up appearances - the veneer of doing something rather than actually doing it.

Even worse, is many of these employment companies are foreign owned, so the profits are not even of benefit to the Australian community.

As I recall, the Government has already tried the 'work for the dole' schemes before haven't they?
When I was working in aged care, we were sent these unemployed people to 'volunteer' to help us with some basic jobs with the aged people.

These 'helpers' made it really obvious they didn't want to be there, and many of our staff consequently did not want them there!

This sort of scheme may work to some extent in metro areas where the unemployed could be accommodated in areas they are interested in, but there aren't enough 'community service areas' to go around for the unemployed in rural areas.

If these people aren't really interested in being a 'help' to the community, then they will be more of a hindrance.
I don't really know what the answer is, but I think giving them proper jobs would be better for their self esteem than community service type jobs they aren't interested in.

mikk while I do not see the demonetizing you talk of I have put this idea forward many times here in OLO.
Remember however we have near full employment.
If things do not go down hill this country will be importing 457 visa workers within a year ,more than ever.
Lets not confuse work shy, they exist, with true unemployed.
And the idea of two working days is not a good one.
Pay minimum wages for full weeks work allowing leave to find full time work.
The work can be found and recruiting of government local state federal could be from the best of these.
I find nothing wrong in getting social return on welfare.

One thing I would do is make the jobless find the work project themselves, the same as finding a job. It would also be up to them to attend and provide the proof they participated. Otherwise no payment.
They could even submit proposals for their own community improvement job if none were available to them locally. Even in rural areas there are plenty of things they could do that would improve their lives and improve their communities. They are getting payed anyway so anything productive they did would be a bonus over the current situation.
Get rid of the paternalistic, intrusive and expensive monkey tricks, work test and privacy invading reviews by the gestapo at centrelink. The savings would be huge.

As I recall, the Government has already tried the 'work for the dole' schemes before haven't they?

Mikk I will combine this with yours and see your call with......give the work for the dole people twice as much for the reasons of dignity and self-worth., or does your discern only revolve around your own lucky birth right?

$240 per two weeks! for what you have suggested, is just a plain insult.

BLUE