is Mise,
For crying out loud, Tradies aren't overpaid bureaucrats ! Does everything need to be explained over & over ? How about using some imagination sometimes !

Some seem to have missed the point of this thread. I expected the 'Usual Suspects' to go on about dole bludgers and lazy good for nothings, they never disappoint me. I'll repeat the part of my opening post at the heart of my concern.

"With the ending of 'Jobkeeper' what we are going to see is a new breed of unemployed, people who have worked all their adult life in seemly secure jobs, never requiring social assistance, suddenly finding themselves and their families trying to survive long term on meagre government handouts. Australia is in danger of creating a newer and larger underclass of poor, something not seen since the Great Depression of 1930."

These are people who have for many years paid taxes, paying off a mortgage, or paying high rent, been raising children at school, running two cars, having annual holidays at Noosa or some such place, keeping a pet, etc, living the Australian dream, mostly two income families. Generally unemployment hasn't touched these middle class folk all that much in the past. If they had experienced unemployment it would have been short term and not have greatly impacted their lives, an inconvenience easily overcome. The notion that one or both could now face long term unemployment, with a loss of up to 75% of past income would be devastating for their family position. The numbers of Australian impacted this way in the coming years could be several million, men women and children. High unemployment is expected to be with us for some time, and with 8 job seekers on average for every 1 job available, things look grim for many, once 'Jobkeeper' ends, and their secure job(s) is no more.

Hi Issy,

I have to take you to task about your claim that 'Dine' is a cheap meal. No it is not, checked the price lately? Its only affordable for billionaires, and those well of Pensioner Welfare folk. Us self funded retirees are luck to enjoy a can of that top shelf pet food at Xmas time, if we are lucky! On the yacht last Xmas my butler was forced to serve our guests 'Lobster Thermidor' the wife and I just couldn't afford cat food!

Thanks for sending me the latest copy of your book 'Road Kill Recipes for the Unsuccessful Hunter' I do like those pet food nosh ups you have included at the back. I particularly enjoyed the "Chum with a Kitty Kat Sauce", and its low on cholesterol as well. And thanks for having your Great Dane "Shorty" slobber over the front cover, better than you autographing the inside. Thanks a mill, there's a can of black label Pal on the way as a thankyou.

Chris Lewis said- With appropriate public housing assistance, perhaps yes, as housing costs take much of the spending burden.
But govts have abandoned this important need, as I argued in Quadrant magazine in 2007 when I supported recent policy trends but highlighted my concerns.
Article was "how the Opposition can make a difference', or something like that

Answer- Much public housing seems to be occupied by refugees and immigrants pushing locals out- I would prefer to see more per capita housing ownership- they can maintain it themselves- you design it to be easily maintained.
It's not just about the spending burden as that's just one side of the equation- there would also be room to reduce the social security burden- someone has to pay if someone isn't working.

If there is a higher proportion of people on unemployment the burden is higher on everyone- more effort should be spent on increasing productivity to prevent suffering on everyone- but this requires investment- which requires money that is already in short supply.

In theory if there are a million people- that million people if managed properly should be able to produce enough food and shelter for that million people- assuming that they haven't overpopulated the land.

Perhaps management is part of the problem- perhaps expectations are another part of the problem.

We need to revise our assumptions.

I will try to find your article Chris. Thanks.

CM,

It might have been my 2007 article titled "In Rudd we trust: the failure of left wing commentary", October 2007 (lead story).

It is hard to find all my comments in long essays.

Had four pieces published under Paddy McGuiness.

Individual,

"For crying out loud, Tradies aren't overpaid bureaucrats ! Does everything need to be explained over & over ? How about using some imagination sometimes !"

People tend to leave 'bureaucrats' out and just think 'public servant', there are many public servants and many bureaucrats, most of whom are on wages, often lower than their contemporaries in the non-Government bureaucracies.