Thinker 2......a smaller population is the is key, to welfare reform.

LEA

NEW MODEL FOR AN AUSTRALIAN REPUBLIC

ELECT A PRESIDENT >> BUT RETAIN THE GOVERNOR GENERAL

An Elected President replaces the Queen in the Constitution.

The Governor General would continue to carry out the same day-to-day Constitutional duties, authorising appointments, regulations and acts of parliament.

But, the Governor General ceases to be our notional Head of State, ceases all ceremonial duties, ceases to be Commander-in-chief, ceases to meet Ambassadors and Heads of State etc.

The President like the Queen, can only appoint or dismiss the Governor General upon the strict advice of the Prime Minister.

The present relationship between a Prime Minister and the Governor General are maintained, for example, a Prime Minister would still be required to drive to Yarralumla to call an election.

The President could not remove a Prime Minister, but a Prime Minister with control of both Houses could remove a President.

This should resolve most fo the incessant arguments we hear about a potential for conflict between an appointed Prime Minister and an elected President would disappear.

Step 1 to the Solution = Non-Military-National Service.

Houellebecq, I doubt Bob Brown would ever want a 'biartch' of any description, do you? :)

I always worry when the Government starts up another welfare-to-work-reform.
The healthcare industry (my industry) always seems to get landed with the long term 'unemployable' welfare recipients who are for the most part too emotionally unwell, or lazily unwilling to work.

For some reason it is considered that the healthcare industry is the place for these people to gain 'certificates', such as aged care workers, or disability care workers, so they can work with the most vulnerable people in our society!

If we are to have these mostly unwilling unemployed welfare recipients working at all, then they should be in factories, or similar workplaces, where they can be properly supervised and only be accountable for material items and not human beings!

only be accountable for material items and not human beings!
suzeonline,
Now that is what I'd call good sense. Can you make that kind of thinking contagious Please ?

First step in my view is not turning unemployed in to low income workers.
Second is easy and clear, just look again and again at some in mid thirty's who never held a job, ever.
The excesses are generated by the understanding those policing welfare need such to stay in a job.