Abbott government’s youth welfare changes ruled unjust
Patricia Karvelas

    The Australian
    September 30, 2014
   

​A BIPARTISAN parliamentary committee chaired by a Liberal senator has severely embarrassed the Abbott government by ruling two of its proposed changes to youth welfare payments in the May budget incompatible with human rights obligations.

The human rights committee, chaired by Liberal Dean Smith, found that the proposed six-month waiting period for people under 30 who were not in employment or training breached the right to social security and the right to an adequate standard of living.      :(

It also found that the age criteria for accessing the New­start Allowance breached the rights to equality and non- discrimination on the basis of age.

Five of the 10 members of the committee were from the Liberal or Nationals parties, including Andrew Laming and Ken Wyatt. There were four Labor and one Greens member, and no dissenting report was submitted.

Under the welfare measures outlined in the May budget, ­people under 30 would be kicked off welfare payments for six months unless they enrolled in school, TAFE or apprenticeships. A range of categories of unemployed people would be exempt from the new rules.

The committee’s report said the government had failed to explain how young people would be able to sustain themselves during a six-month period without social security.      :(

It noted in its original assessment that information regarding the likely impact of the measure on individuals and their families, and how they would retain ­access to adequate shelter and food, was “necessary in order to assess the human rights compatibility of this measure”.

After receiving a response from Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews that “failed to provide any further information” to make such an assessment, the committee concluded that the measure was “incompatible with the right to social security and the right to an adequate standard of living”. The right to ­social security is guaranteed by­ ­article 9 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which “recog­nises the importance of adequate social benefits in reducing the effects of poverty and plays an important role in realising many other economic, social and cultural rights, particularly the right to an adequate standard of living and … to health”.

In his response to the committee, Mr Andrews said: “The specific targeting of this measure to those young people who are job-ready without any barriers to prevent them from gaining employment will mitigate the risk of limiting a person’s right to social security. Young people will have access to the full range of programmes and assistance under the employment service model to enable them to find employment and access to a Health Care Card which provides people with access to the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme and other state based concessions.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Andrews said last night the minister disagreed with the committee.

“It is not six months without support,” she said. “People have a choice: they can do a course which will help them get a job. The earn-and-learn measures are for those who are capable of working at least 30 hours a week.

“Those who do choose to learn new skills to get a job may be eligible for other ­support such as the Youth Allowance.”

The Department of Social Services revealed that 49.8 per cent of Newstart recipients aged under 30 between April 1 and September 30 last year had stopped receiving the payment within six months.

The Australian understands the government will fail to get the six-month waiting period through the Senate and has been in talks with crossbenchers about a one-month waiting period. It will push for a compromise this week.

While the human rights committee report is not binding, it is embarrassing for the government to have its own MPs claim its measures break international ­obligations.      :)

The committee also sought additional information from ministers over a number of proposed government measures, including the higher education reforms and the abolition of the Low Income Superannuation Contribution and the Income Support Bonus. It found that a number of changes to the Migration Act were likely to be incompatible with human rights obligations, including the obligation to treat the rights of the child as the primary consideration in decision-making.

ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie said the committee had found the government had failed to show that the age restrictions, which would limit access to Newstart Allowance to those over 24, were “necessary, reasonable and proportionate to achieve a legitimate objective”.

it is embarrassing for the government to have its own MPs claim its measures break international ­obligations. 


Since when has the Abbott mob worried about embarrassing itself?

Well, being embarrassed is not a guarantee of reducing the human rights abuse to be honest.

What I find curious is that every single flaw pointed out in any of these new budget measures has an answer that, at face value, seems to be saying, "hey, no problem there, simply claim over here for this instead...."

In effect, the team for "less government" has made a situation more complex, which equates to more government.

I say this baring in mind another thread that, in my opinion, quite accurately termed the slogan "Low Wages Conservatives".... It really is what it is...

I'm a massive fan of work for the dole, landcare, peace corps, youth army, green army or whatever you want to call it.

it is SOOOOO destructive to have young people , socially isolated, not getting the rich interaction of the workplace or study, at home in their pyjamas, eating bad food, on the playstation, bored, turning to drugs, pokies or crime in their boredom.

I don't mind what they do but they should be doing something.

again, to use horse training prinicples, if you don't have work for a few of your horses, you don't just turn them out in a paddock and forget they exist, you lunge them, you work them in a round yard, you teach them a few tricks, you do a bit of barrel racing, you keep them tuned up.

its for their own good,mental and physical good health.

you do it because you LOVE them.

the opposite of love isn't hate
the opposite of love is to ignore.

and not engaging youth in as many programs as we can think of is ignoring them and this will only make them feral, only make them physically unfit , only make them mentally unfit.

so all loving people must support government programs of engagement.  there should be no "sit down" money

Paint a rock schemes just take away dignity from the unemployed who really have only their dignity.

Well said St George, get rid of work for the dole rubbish.     ;)

wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 7:27am:

Well said St George, get rid of work for the dole rubbish.     ;)

so you would support the government just ignoring the youth of Australia and showing no interest in them.
that is a pathway to disaster. people will tolerate  being involved in programs they don't particularly like (I'm sure many school children didn't like compulsory education) . but they will decay if they are just ignored.
work for the dole or compulsory study or whatever is a sign we care.

St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 7:09am:

Paint a rock schemes just take away dignity from the unemployed who really have only their dignity.

And explain to us how sitting around on the couch day after day, month after month and year after year is a dignified existence?


I've done some crappy jobs for some terrible pay and at no time did I feel it was beneath me or undignified, what is beneath me is to spend my life living off the hard work of others.



Welfare is undignified, working, even working for the dole, is not.

Putting people on useless go nowhere programs,or work for the dole rubbish, is not a sign we care.      :(      

BigOl64 wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 7:52am:

St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 30th, 2014 at 7:09am: Paint a rock schemes just take away dignity from the unemployed who really have only their dignity. And explain to us how sitting around on the couch day after day, month after month and year after year is a dignified existence?

Peddling false stereotypes? Naughty, naughty.

You should explain how people forced to live on nothing for six months can have any dignity.

aquascoot wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 7:45am:

wrote on Sep 30th, 2014 at 7:27am: Well said St George, get rid of work for the dole rubbish.     ;) so you would support the government just ignoring the youth of Australia and showing no interest in them. that is a pathway to disaster. people will tolerate  being involved in programs they don't particularly like (I'm sure many school children didn't like compulsory education) . but they will decay if they are just ignored. work for the dole or compulsory study or whatever is a sign we care.

Crap. It served just fine until you neo-nutbars got to have a say.

It's pure conservative ideological bullshit and nothing more.

And well you know it.

aquascoot wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 7:45am:

wrote on Sep 30th, 2014 at 7:27am: Well said St George, get rid of work for the dole rubbish.     ;) so you would support the government just ignoring the youth of Australia and showing no interest in them. that is a pathway to disaster.

That is what would happen if the government wilfully ignores unemployed youth for six months.


Quote:

people will tolerate  being involved in programs they don't particularly like (I'm sure many school children didn't like compulsory education) . but they will decay if they are just ignored. work for the dole or compulsory study or whatever is a sign we care.

You still have no idea what really happens at Work for the Dole. Work for the Dole is nothing more than an expensive timewasting exercise and a punishment for being without work.

Dig a hole here. Now fill it in. Sort these beads. Sort these beads again...

We would be better off to abolish Work for the Dole and use the savings plus an additional $10 billion or so to create half a million real government jobs at the minimum wage that people can do when they have nothing else available. The jobs wouldn't be great, but they would put money into pockets, get people off the dole and real community work would get done. We could remove graffiti, clean rubbish from waterways, remove junk and noxious weeds from national parks and other unglamorous stuff that doesn't get done because Work for the Dole isn't community work no matter how much one may pretend otherwise.

Bam wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 10:38am:

BigOl64 wrote on Sep 30th, 2014 at 7:52am: St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 30th, 2014 at 7:09am: Paint a rock schemes just take away dignity from the unemployed who really have only their dignity. And explain to us how sitting around on the couch day after day, month after month and year after year is a dignified existence? Peddling false stereotypes? Naughty, naughty. You should explain how people forced to live on nothing for six months can have any dignity.

There is no dignity by sitting around for six months, that is my point.


You work or you study, doing nothing for six months is not an option with the dole paid or not.

BigOl64 wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 11:49am:

There is no dignity by sitting around for six months, that is my point.

I agree


BigOl64 wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 11:49am:

You work or you study, doing nothing for six months is not an option with the dole paid or not.

The people a lot seem to forget are those that don't want/cant go to uni.

You can do as many uni degrees wasting your time & taxpayers $$, why because there is no upfront cost.

However try & do a tafe or any other course to improve your chances at employment, I know if I was 17 today & had to pay like they do I would not be able to afford it.

My brother in law started a draftsman course this year as his sick of hanging gyprock.

Fees started at $1200 a term, he returned after the latest break to be told due to funding changes they had risen to 4K.

Seriously how can anyone under 30 afford that.

Face it the government want you to support your kids well into their late 20's to 30's.

The decline is typical of everything these days.

No one wants to pay tax
Companies demand tax reductions because they apparently trained these people
Said companies got their tax cut & promptly stopped training & then complained about a skill shortages(every job now requires experience)
The government having forgone tax revenue now finds it must increase taxes to everyone(NO WAY) or charge & cut to the barest minimum training courses.

But its OK because business can just bring over whoever(457) they want & basically pay what they want >:(

The LNP is being very careful that no voter is caught up in its wanted legislation.  Only those under 18 are affected.

If it is not LNP bash the children legislation it would apply to all ages!

wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 7:27am:

Well said St George, get rid of work for the dole rubbish.     ;)

Yes work for the Newstart benefit is more accurate

Bam wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 11:06am:

aquascoot wrote on Sep 30th, 2014 at 7:45am: wrote on Sep 30th, 2014 at 7:27am: Well said St George, get rid of work for the dole rubbish.     ;) so you would support the government just ignoring the youth of Australia and showing no interest in them. that is a pathway to disaster. That is what would happen if the government wilfully ignores unemployed youth for six months. Quote: people will tolerate  being involved in programs they don't particularly like (I'm sure many school children didn't like compulsory education) . but they will decay if they are just ignored. work for the dole or compulsory study or whatever is a sign we care. You still have no idea what really happens at Work for the Dole. Work for the Dole is nothing more than an expensive timewasting exercise and a punishment for being without work. Dig a hole here. Now fill it in. Sort these beads. Sort these beads again... We would be better off to abolish Work for the Dole and use the savings plus an additional $10 billion or so to create half a million real government jobs at the minimum wage that people can do when they have nothing else available. The jobs wouldn't be great, but they would put money into pockets, get people off the dole and real community work would get done. We could remove graffiti, clean rubbish from waterways, remove junk and noxious weeds from national parks and other unglamorous stuff that doesn't get done because Work for the Dole isn't community work no matter how much one may pretend otherwise.

I could live with that.  Maybe a bit less than minimum wage , but better than paying money out for nothing. Sounds like quite a good idea

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 6:50am:

it is embarrassing for the government to have its own MPs claim its measures break international ­obligations.  Since when has the Abbott mob worried about embarrassing itself ?

... or breaching international human rights laws, for that matter

Look no further than its imprisonment of children, in off-shore "detention facilities"

Swagman wrote on Sep 30^th, 2014 at 5:33pm:

wrote on Sep 30th, 2014 at 7:27am: Well said St George, get rid of work for the dole rubbish.     ;) Yes work for the Newstart benefit is more accurate

It's not. Not even close.

Firstly because it's almost NEVER a 'new start' ('different rut' would be FAR more accurate).

Secondly, because it does NOT 'benefit' the recipient, who cannot even afford to live on it.

And if you want people to work pay them a wage. Paying No-Start AND expecting someone
to perform menial (even child-like) non-productive 'work' at that rate of pay is NOTHING
less than slavery, and is actually in breach of our piss-poor excuse for a Constitution.