Swann's upcoming budget will, one way or the other, decide the fate of the unemployed for at least the next three years, and quite probably longer.

If Gillard/Swann do not bite the bullet and grant the vital $50/week raise in the pittance they insultingly call 'the dole' in this budget, then it won't happen until we have another (and hopefully much better than this one) Labor government in power. We're talking at least three years here, and possibly six. The unemployed, frankly, cannot go for that long without the increase which, by any measure of fairness, decency and equality, should have been granted at the same time as the pensioners received theirs.

I believe, however, that there's no chance. All we hear is cuts to this, cuts to that, black hole, belt-tightening, and of course, from both sides the stupid calls of 'SURPLUS, SURPLUS, SURPLUS!'. Only an idiot would be chasing a surplus in the current economic climate, and only bigger idiots would be calling for one. Be that as it may, it doesn't take an astronomical telescope to see that the unemployed would be the first to get it in the neck.

She could, of course, reason that Abbott will never grant the increase, and so, knowing that her chances of another term are somewhere between very slim and non-existent, grant it out of spite towards Abbott. But I wouldn't hold my breath on that one, I think she's still delusional enough to think she'll win.

The conservative Liberal Party have always despised the unemployed, and were responsible for creating and reinforcing the myth of the 'dole bludger' prior to that well-known constitutional shambles known as 'The Dismissal'. Liberal policy since Fraser, and reinforced and exacerbated by Howard and now Abbott, has always been to vilify, denigrate and discriminate against the unemployed. They designed and created 'Work for the Dole' for that very reason (scrapping an effective Keating work/training scheme, which worked well and was achieving results, but with a fair 'wage' for participants, decent training, and the good chance of a job on completion).

So, with that history, any increase from Abbott would be out of the question, but one can almost guarantee that any remaining carrots will be thrown away, and a bigger stick purchased. This despite the fact that there are only jobs available for around 10% of job-seekers at any one time. The Liberals can't seem to be able to move away from their belief that the remaining 90% are bludgers who left school at 14 and haven't worked since. It's not only untrue, but it's bloody insulting as well.

Punishing those out of work, whether by pointless make-work schemes like WfD or by a refusal bordering on Sadism to grant the unemployed a reasonable, fairly-indexed rate of payment won't help them to get work, only make it harder. This out-dated mind-set that 'the dole is short-term only, not a lifestyle' needs to be gotten rid of as well. It's fine (and true) when there's work available everywhere. But we all know that this is no longer the case, nor has it been for some time. So let's ditch the 'lifestyle' rhetoric once and for all.

Anyway, Tuesday night is crunch-time.

Will they get a fair raise? Or will they be spat upon and kicked in the face once again?

My money (and yes, it IS mine) is on the latter.


Kat.

... wrote on May 12^th, 2013 at 7:03pm:



I also contributed a submission to that Senate Committee, and read most of the others.

DEEWR was the ONLY submission I read that made this outrageous claim. It comes
back to this idiotic idea that people are all unemployed because they want to be, and
that financial punishment to the point of destitution is the only way to 'make' them work.

What utter horse-shyt!!.

They just don't get it, and/or won't see the facts staring them in the face.

Putting it in the 'too hard' basket is no longer an option, as that's all they've been
doing since Howard got into power.

Time to accept that the increase is overdue and essential, grant it, and move on.

My suggestion has always been, and for many years has been, if you are eligible for the dole - then you must work for it.

When coupled with the question about increasing the dole, why not have the recipients show up at the local council for clock-on and clock-off? Those that are willing to engage with local councils to provide much needed labour will receive an additional loading on their basic dole payments. Nobody is expected to work for nothing and there are plenty of opportunities within local councils for personal training and advancement.

Many rural areas have little, or no, opportunities for worthwhile employment while much-needed public works go begging for funds.

Once committed to such a program, one could always take time off to attend employment interviews and still collect bonus payments if such interviews were validated by a signed slip from the potential employer.

Sit at home and suck bongs = minimum payments.
Login in for work and take what's offered = bonus payments.

There should be a program for those willing to work and recognition of those who don't even try. The willing need all the help they can get.

Let's face it, employment agencies are less than helpful. There has to be a better way.

Kat wrote on May 12^th, 2013 at 9:55pm:


Note the highlight (apologies for deleting yours, I converted it to italics).

Criminals are released back into the public arena with community service orders, aren't they? Whose jobs are they taking?

All I'm suggesting is that such a scheme already in place could be expanded to meet the needs of the unemployed - that is, for those willing to participate.

I've personally known families with three generations of unemployed. What hope do the 'willing' have of breaking that cycle without extra help?

I've also known some people for more than 20 years whose biggest problem is drugs - and that is reflected in both their attitudes to work and their rather bleak prospects. But that is another issue, isn't it?

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on May 13^th, 2013 at 6:07am:



They've been used (wrongly) as a scapegoat and political football by the Con-alition ever since the putrid events of 11-11-75.

This attitude of dismissal and disregard by Labor is relatively new, a Rudd/Gillard 'initiative', probably, like the 'surplus', in order to chase the conservative vote that they'll never get..

Anyway, the asshole has come clean, there 'will be no dole increase under a government....' etc, etc.

Frankly, I'm disgusted, and, sadly, ashamed to be Australian this morning.

Labor has, this morning, just handed a sizeable bloc of voters over to the greens and the Independents.

Voters that these greedy, ignorant, selfish fools richly deserve to lose.

EDIT: - Did anyone else notice how quickly some of the nay-sayers turned up 'upstairs' to gloat and denigrate?

How very unfair it is, that the unemployed will not get a fair increase.  They will still survive below the poverty line.  One must keep the pressure on, for a fair go for the unemployed.    

Yes Kat , well we do know one thing he wants to do.  More work for the dole rubbish.  I heard it will be for all the unemployed, that are under 50.    

Quote:


I thought it already was for all those under 50. Could be wrong.

They seem to change the requirements fairly regularly.

And there's usually a sand-filled sock not long after budgets are
handed down, or when there's an election in the wind.

I'm certainly predicting Draconian changes once Abbott gets in.

None of which will actually benefit the unemployed.