Mr Barrie, boss (CEO) of ASX-listed freelancing marketplace Freelancer.com. says:

Provocative chief executive Matt Barrie says Australia’s education system is a “basket case” and is the main contributor to the country’s “completely cactus” economy.

“The Australian economy is completely cactus,” Mr Barrie told news.com.au.
“We’ve let manufacturing completely fall apart and we’re just deluding ourselves thinking we’re a wealthy country just because we’ve got inflated house prices and because we’ve got an immigration program to prop up tax receipts and prop up the housing market.
“It’s going to end in tears — households are already at capacity in terms of their ability to pay rent and buy houses.

He is right about the basket case state of Australian education - number 43 on a list of civilised, and some not so civilised, countries. State schools are run by extreme Left unions, and universities are merely factories reliant on Chinese students.

No job training for Australians: so much easier to import people who can't speak English properly.

Australians are certainly deluding themselves about the state of the economy: a dollar getting more like the peso daily, and a stupid RBA and its stupidly low interest rate trying to encourage people who were hopeless with money in the first place to waste even more of it in an attempt to hide the fact that we have exported our industries and imported too many people.

Then there's high house prices, lack of public housing for people on stagnant wages who can't afford to buy a house, and a growing completely homeless cohort to challenge Third World countries.

No mention of our you-beaut NBN per courtesy of Rudd, then Turnbull, which has put us 62nd in the world for internet speed.

Australia is rooted.

This comment from the article cited by Dan sums up the Australian job situation:

' "That’s why there’s no productivity because we’re producing people to serve cups of coffee and serve avocado on toast to each other,” Mr Barrie said.'

Every second man/woman and his/her dog becomes a barrista on completion of one of the growing list of laughably useless 'degrees' handed out to keep universities in business.

Diver Dan he may well be right, we will, within about a decade, see housing crisis as people can not pay for the one they are buying
Renters in increased numbers leaving the city's to find homes
Capitalism [the only thing we have found works] needs a remake, and it may get it after a coming GFC

Here's something to think about in regard to university students out protesting:

Updated Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt statistics

http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2018/May/HELP-debt-statistics

"This release updates the total amount of outstanding HELP debt to $54.0 billion for the 2016–17 financial year, $9.3 billion above the estimate of$44.7 billion contained in the 2017–18 Budget"

"However, since HELP is an asset on the Government's balance sheet, the proportion of outstanding debt not expected to be repaid (DNER) is arguably more important than the overall size of the loan portfolio. The latest DNER estimate from the Australian Government Actuary is 25 per cent, or 18 per cent if vocational loans are not included (according to the Department of Education and Training Annual Report 2016–17"

"The number of debts above $50,000 also continued to grow in 2016–17, reaching 159,475, up from 125,650 in 2015–16. Among people with debts above $50,000, 14,046 have debts above $100,001, up from 10,996 in 2015–16."

So we had a 10 billion dollar blow-out in a single year to serve the interests of the little assholes out protesting trying to shut our power plants down.

Can anyone tell me this:
Is it Cloward and Piven, or total incompetence?
It's got to be either one or the other.

I'm saying Cloward and Piven, run into the ground on purpose by left leaning idiots that can't figure out how to best develop a policy, or else their brains or so poorly wired that totsl bs is the only output.

You wanna know why you can't eat steak Belly, there it is.

" ...carrying on as we are means having to bear the burden of a growing dependence on China. This surely is utterly unbecoming of a proud, sovereign and successful country like Australia." (Prof. Ross Fitzgerald)

All this is thanks to the Public Service Unions !

"Only a government fully committed to Australian sovereignty can act to save the remnants of manufacturing and stop the liquidation by the elites of our farmers as if they were Australian kulaks. Act soon, Mr Morrison, very soon". (David Flint)

Act soon, Mr Morrison, very soon"
ttbn,
Same applies to average Australian Citizens & even more so to Public Servants !

What contribution to the betterment of Australia does Matt Barrie make? What does Freelancer.com produce? Other that siphon off a chuck of the wealth of the nation, productivity produced by the toil and hard work of others! THEY CONTRIBUTE NOTHING!

'Robert Matthew "Matt" Barrie is an Australian technology entrepreneur. He is the chief executive officer of Freelancer.com, a global online freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace', according to Wikipedia. In other words a producer of nothing. When you are starving try frying up a bit of that global gobbledygook and wash it down with a splash of crowdsourcing.

What is wrong, we have too many of these trumped up non producers running around living off the fat of the land, while telling the rest of us what we should and should not be doing. All I can say to you know who is; "GET A REAL JOB!"

That is my spray for the day. All is not lost I have the solution to the problem, and its a ripper!

No need to cut the 'Aged pension', my Strategy for a better and more sustainable Australia. Abolish the 'Aged Pension' immediate, if not sooner, a saving to the nation of $51 billion, with no loss of productivity, no rise in unemployment, its a win, win, situation for all.

Hallelujah Brothers and Sisters!

individual,

I'm not sure that average citizens or public servants are even aware of the rot affecting their country. Selfish and thick as bricks, most of them. We need a leader. Someone like Donald Trump.

Donald Trump's America has had a complete turn around. Morrison's/Turnbull's Australia is in a nose dive.

ttbn, I thought Corny Banana was your 'Great White Hope', you were singing his praises not that long ago. Oh well! I hope he gave you your money back. We haven't got a Donald Trump, not even a Donald Duck, but what we do have is 'The Mad Katter', I don't often agree with Bob, but he's always good value. We live in hope!

Paul 1405.

No. Your wrong. Matt Barry is actually highly productive and useful, and Is well placed to recognise the penalties of educational inefficiency, inside his enterprise.
After all, his is an enterprise built on an efficiency designed to match entrepreneurial freelance workers with job offers.

He works in a global market, which matches the ideology of globalism. Globalism of course, as you would be aware, is what the principle economy of the west rests upon.

So what he sees from his stand-point, is an Australian educational outcome defunct in global productive usefulness.

Dan

Armchair,
>Is it Cloward and Piven, or total incompetence?
No, it's a sensible investment in the future of our country.

And to even think it could be Cloward and Piven is evidence of total incompetence on your part, as it's already federally funded.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Paul1405,
I know there are a lot of whingers on this site telling people to get jobs that aren't there, but I didn't think you'd be one of them!

Freelancer is a market, matching producers with consumers. Just because they're not themselves producers doesn't mean they contribute nothing. Your rant is as stupid as those libertarian ideologues claiming governments contribute nothing of value.

AC,

"So we had a 10 billion dollar blow-out in a single year to serve the interests of the little assholes out protesting trying to shut our power plants down."

A neat sight of hand, the whole $10 billion attributed to the "little asshole" group you don't agree with, or like. Maybe they have a legitimate reason to protest, but that's another story.

Hey Aiden,
"No, it's a sensible investment in the future of our country."

I have to disagree, but I'm willing to meet you halfway.

If taxpayers drop 50K on a individual students studies, then 'sensible investment' only applies if a person firstly completes their studies and gains the academic qualification, and secondly after they start working in that chosen field and both begin repaying that money and pay a tax component to the Australian government.

If those things don't happen, repay the loan and pay tax in Australia;
- Then I'm not sure how you can consider it an investment or an asset.

Until those 2 things happen, it's a liability and a loss, not an investment or an asset.

There's many reasons why a person might not finish their studies, and there's no guarantee that the person will even work in this country upon completion of their studies.

Hey Paul1405,
Yes it was a poor choice of words in the heat of the moment.
My apologies to all.

10 billion is just the amount they exceeded in their forecast.
I'm not sure what the total was, but 18% to 25% is not expected to be repaid.

How much is that every year?
Yet those same people want to close streets and power generation down.
I say we should not spend a cent on the ones who don't complete their studies and become a benefit to the nation for the nations investment.

We'd be better off spending the money on new ideas for clean energy creation to shut the big-mouthed little upstarts up than to flush it down the toilet.
We've already taken money from a clean energy fund to spend dealing with waste instead.

I'm not necessarily opposed to their protesting;
- But if you're not a voter go home -

I suppose I'm opposed to them doing it on the back of government funding.
Pay for their course, pay for them to keep a roof over their head and food on their table while studying and how do they repay us, stop the workers who do pay tax from getting to work and shut down energy making all businesses and citizens in this country less able to make ends meet.

Paul as usual you have it totally wrong.

What we need is to first cut the number of bureaucrats in half. Then we need to reduce their wages by half for the majority, & by 3/4 for all the senior way over paid bunch.

Then we need to reduce their pension to the age pension, so they are suitably reimbursed for their effort in their wasted lives. This would not only save more money, but inject some justice into the system.

Hey Aiden,
The difference between 'incompetence' and 'Cloward and Piven' as I refer to it would be 'intent'.
It's the same distinction we make in regards to manslaughter or murder.
Accidentally killing someone is not the same as deliberately killing someone, even though the result is much the same.

Also, by definition it cannot be an 'investment' if there's no return on that investment. If they don't finish their studies, repay the loan and pay tax in Australia there's no return on that particular investment. It's essentially just a waste of money that would be better spent elsewhere.

I'll also meet you halfway with Freelancer.com
Whilst he may not himself produce anything, he probably is producing tax for the Australian government, and helping Australians match jobs with skills which also results in increased national employment and tax paid to the government.
It's better that he be based in Australia and pays tax here, than Australians using foreign owned apps where our money goes overseas, like Uber or Air BnB.
If his business is based here overseas money also potentially comes here instead.

Hassy, how about we just cut off all those old folk with their snouts in the trough. The reality is they are no more of use, non producers, never will be again. They are simply a burden on society, how about you? I know Issy falls into that category.

Of course I'm not going to see the old folks starving to death, no way! There is the 'vegie patch' program, all those at Seniors Boot Camp, will graduate with a packet of bean seeds and the knowledge of how they can grow them for a feed, in their newly established self sufficient backyard vegie patch, next to the new chook shed. Its all win win with my plan!

Armchair, your definition of "investment" is too narrow. A highly skilled workforce is one of the best investments we can make in our nation's future. It's what prevents us from becoming a third world country. The direct financial return is far less important - indeed most European countries don't even try to achieve a direct financial return on university education.

When you need money you don't ask the poor
You wanted a national disability scheme....you got it
You wanted parental leave....you got it
You wanted safety standards on all fronts bordering on fantasy....you got it....and on and on.
Everything granted simply reduced social responsibility
Gambling ripped the guts out of the country.
But no one objected to more football sports stadiums
Society as a whole contributed to the present scenario and the best one can come up with is get rid of the non contributor pensioners who were conned from the start by being told to work hard, pay your taxes and the system will look after you.
You want somewhere to start, get rid of rental assistance and you'll see a lot of real estate become available.
Get rid of the pollies forever handout schemes after they've filled their pockets.
Start voting for individuals who represent a point of view and have something to contribute.
First past the post, no bulls..t preferences.....if the voter can't commit they shouldn't be voting.

Summary.....society got what it deserves....too late to start bitching now

Common sense died out long ago in this country and it's not even present as an artform

Common sense really does seem to be the absent variable in society.

I went to KFC and ordered a single piece meal, they give me a wing.
I go to eat my potato and gravy, no spoon.
So I slurp the gravy and use my half eaten wing to spoon out my potato.
No commons sense.

I go over to McDonalds and order 2 Big Mac's and 3 or 4 Junior Burgers and some fries.
(Big Mac's are boxed, Junior burgers are wrapped.)
So they pack my Junior Burgers standing up sideways on the bottom and pack the heavier Big Mac's and chips on top, squashing the burgers underneath.
No common sense.

So I go over to Wollies and they've got Chicken Kiev's on spesh.
Righto, I'll take 3 but not that one there because it's a bit squashed and it's got all it's guzz coming out.
I get home and see to my dismay that the staffmember in the deli had packed them tightly together like he was trying to roll up the daily newspaper.
No common sense.

'Common Sense' has become almost non existent and obsolete.

- A nation full of drongos -

Matt Barrie is quoted in this article:

IMF warns world is facing a ‘synchronised slowdown’ to the weakest pace since the GFC
http://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/imf-warns-world-is-facing-a-synchronised-slowdown-to-the-weakest-pace-since-the-gfc/news-story/63681e8fa95fae9b7f449e1021fe8e49