Butch believes in a fair go * The idea of a fair go is not supposed to be one sided. There will always be people for what ever reason do not want to participate in work, that is not an Australian problem it’s a world fact.
Howard believed 5 % unemployment was full employment. And as been proved before when it gets below 5 % wages increase in leaps and bounds. So under unemployment comes with its own problems.
I don’t see why unemployment cannot be controlled at a 5% level. If out govt; would think about it: instead of bundling everybody that is unemployed into a work for the doll situation. Persons that have no hope of ever holding a job or are definite job dodgers should not be included in any work scheme.
Those unemployed that have potential to be leaders in the workforce need to be marketed as such. Persons that show mechanical skills and persons that will never advance from being laborers, need to be marketed as such. Since when did big sticks make people work, you are only going to turn people against what you are trying to achieve.
The current work for the dole is only trying to be seen as doing something. You have cats, dogs and guinea pigs all on the same task. Everybody’s personalities are different , until you have separate job tasks for different people you will never succeed.
Competent minded unemployed should be inducted into Tafe, university, or business college. Persons that will never make it past being a laborer should be inducted to work for local councils, nurseries or Land fills. All being a requirement of getting the dole + some extra for expenses for education on the job.
What they are doing now is selecting your employees for your business without not knowing what your business is.

Hey rehctub,
I agree they contribute a small amount back for doctor visits.
I expect the cost of this to explode in the coming years.
There's a new trend where single mums are making great use of home doctor visits.
Now that its so much easier, they call them twice as often.

I think a fee is fair for two reasons:
1. It's not free for people who go to work.
2. It creates a barrier to exploitation and overuse.

Hey Luciferase,
The only idea I could come up with to create new meaningful jobs that could also involve training and NOT conflict with the existing market for jobs in any way was National Infrastructure.

-Which in turn goes back to my previous idea of a straight line - (if theres a mountain in the way go through it and a if theres a building in the way knock it down) HSR and 6/8 lane superhighway connecting all capital cities from Darwin (via Townsville) to Perth.

But we build it so good it includes water, power, internet, oil, gas infrastructure as well like a national conduit for everything with a superport in Darwin.
Connect the power infrastructure to thorium plants, sunfarms and hydroelectric; with the water infrastructure that's connected to dams and desalination plants, and generate additional electricity through the movement of water through pipes, build a roof over the rail lines and put solar panels on it, generate electricity from the wheels of the trains...
Build an inland route connecting from say Carpentaria to Port Pirie, and then connect the capital cities to the inland route bringing the country to the city with 400kmh trains.

The meaningful jobs (and training) could be anything associated with this massive infrastructure project.

Therefore there would be a lot more jobs for normal Australians and a lot more opportunities for jobs and training under this new seperate system for the unemployed.

Badge and Achievement based System (for skills)

Task: Do Work - (earn double your allowance)
Result: Get Paid (following shift via EBT card) and earn Training Credits

Spend Training Credits
(example forklift license)

First: Learn New Skill (via App - Equipment, Safety Info, Simulation Training)
Then: Spend Training Credits on Practice or Testing
Result: (Pass)Get new skill or badge achievement for Digital Resume
Result2: Unlock New Projects (Opportunities) withing the Jobs and Training System

You may be required to use your new skills in the new projects you unlock.

This base level Jobs and Training Service (like some kind of Blue Collar College combined with the CES but in a technical App kind of way) could also be linked with Charities and Community Groups that you can also utilise for assistance to help you get on your feet and get a proper job.
Remember this isn't considered normal employment just an option to gain skills, training and earn a little more doing things that can save the government money.

You see its just like a micro-pay app or game.
If technology is the way of the future and we have MyGov accounts, then we should have different tabs in our online profile.

Other than personal info (like a default Home Tab)Health, Education, Jobs and Training, Skills & Achievements, Payments, Voting, Notifications etc.

You could click Log-In to MyGov,
Click 'Jobs & Training',
Click 'Look for Jobs'
Select (Project you have skills to take part in)
Confirm,
Go to Work.
Use the EBT card to log-in and out of work and get paid at end of shift into card.

//It never ceases to amaze me when the plebs whinge about paying a few bucks to see a doctor//

I am blessed with a remarkably robust immune system, but I still visit my doctor at least once a year even if just for a check-up. He might pick up something I have missed, because I lack the knowledge. If poor people are discouraged from going to the doctors by eliminating bulk billing, then problems which might have been picked up before they become serious (and therefore really expensive to treat) may go unnoticed until it's too late.

We might save a few bucks by discouraging John Doe from visiting his GP. Unfortunately, that GP would have noticed John's melanoma before it metastasised, when it could have been dealt with far more easily - and far more cheaply. Now John is seriously ill and needs all sorts of hideously expensive radiotherapy and chemo, and the net cost to the public health system is far greater than if we hadn't discouraged him from visiting his GP in the first place. Ooops. Bit of an own goal there. It's a bit of a bugger for poor old John as well.

This why we should leave public health to medical professionals, not people trained in the art of carving up animals which are well past any sort medical help.

Implementing the System - Projects

The main project is this huge National Infrastructure Project
But this would consist of many many smaller projects.

For example, you could find some brainiacs to design mobile dwellings, with bed, tv, internet connection, recharge station, battery wall and solar panel etc to provide mobile accommodations.
Then you get the chinese to make all the components cheap and we start a project with jobs for assembling these mobile dwellings.
If the dwellings arent being used you lease them out, and even sell them to companies or individuals who wish to buy them.
As you get enough of these dwellings, you can begin to start new projects where people get skills in trucks and heavy equipment and excavations and begin land clearing for the new infrastructure.
As the same time you bring on new projects to provide meals for these people... And laundry services..
All new jobs and skills, and badges and achievements for your digital resume.

So as the skillsets grow the use of these skillsets grow.
As the project evolves more projects come online.
You guys get where I'm going.

Hey Doog,
I agree the 5% unemployment level should just be maintained, only we need to create a better system for those who may find themselves in that 5% at one time or another; some more often than others..
I didn't know lower % employment pushes up wages btw, but it makes sense.

But even if some people only have skills to be cleaners, gardeners, truck drivers etc. they should all be able to get easy access to information that can help them learn how to start their own businesses successfully.

And sometimes its not what you earn, but the decisions you make that determine your success.
A low skilled quiet-achiever person that just keeps on keeping on can do better in the long run than someone more intelligent and better skilled person who lives life more erratically and to the extremes with poor and irrational choices.

Hey Toni,
I think even $5 or around the cost of subsidised medicine would be fair for a doctor visit for someone on a benefit, (maybe double if they send the home doctor out) and it would be ok if that cost comes out of that persons next payment, therefore not having to pay up front.

I don't want people not going to the doctors when they should be going, and all paid workers over 50 should be able to get their once yearly check-up at a discount, maybe even the $5.
(It's not a big expense once a year to make sure the people earning the taxes are healthy, it tells them they're valued but it also reminds them to value their own health too.)
I just don't want people able to misuse the service, like having the home doctor out 8 times in a fortnight at taxpayers expense for a child that has essentially nothing wrong with them.