Lone parents on [social services] average 12 years of benefits - and are often worse off if they work. But reforming the system is risky and often costly, Bettina Arndt explains.SMH 12 Dec 02. [? Ruling class articles inc] Yet the Opposition parties show consistent reluctance to extend participation requirements to this group. "I don't want to be part of an agenda which says [lone parents'] choices to care for kids are any less worthy than anyone else's choices," says Labor's family and community affairs spokesman, Wayne Swan.
But it's not their choice alone to make, says Peter Saunders, director of social policy research at the Centre for Independent Studies. [Who uses the keyword welfare instead of the keyword SOCIAL SERVICES. He does that because welfare sounds more like bludger.] He compares the situation with a couple which decides one parent will stay home until their youngest leaves school. "In effect, the lone parent is saying, 'I'm exercising my choice and you've got to pay for it,' while the couple is free to make that choice with no implications for the rest of us. It's their affair because they are not making demands on other people."
Apart from the battle over participation requirements, the constant refrain of the [social services] organisations is: where are the jobs? Moves towards further [social services] reform rightly raise questions as to whether the Government is putting sufficient effort into job creation.
"If we are looking at the barriers to people finding work, one key issue is there simply aren't enough jobs around. There are eight to 10 people for every job vacancy," says Dr Stephen Ziguras, from the Brotherhood of St Lawrence.
Yet most jobs are never advertised - hence these figures are extremely questionable, says Saunders [?]
[Actually I think that Saunders is an extreme government head-kicker and even more questionable]
Saunders: "It's like auctions for houses. Ten people might be bidding but only one gets to buy the house. But that doesn't mean it's not worth them trying at the next auction." Saunders points to Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing that last year 13 per cent of the labour force were unemployed at some time in any year, but only 1.4 per cent unemployed for the whole year. But there are also recipients likely to gain by proposed changes. At present the system offers little financial incentive for families and individuals on [social services] to take up part-time work.
But given that most new jobs are part-time, the suggestion is to find ways of ensuring part-time work pays, perhaps by covering work-related costs such as transport or child care or through "in-work" benefits for people who work a minimum number of hours each weeks or who achieve minimum earnings.
In the long term, the jobs problem should disappear, with demographic changes demanding more workers to support an ageing population. And that's when [social services] reform will acquire real urgency, with governments being forced to find ways of increasing workforce participation of [social services] recipients, particularly mothers and older men.
Despite the resistance, [social services] reform is destined to remain on the agenda.possible alternative approaches stemming from recommendations of the McClure report, which argued for rationalisation of the complex payment structure and easing of poverty traps. This document is primarily a sales job - making a strong case that reform is essential, given that the 9 million people of working age in employment are supporting almost 3 million receiving welfare.
[Yep, then John HoWARd can spend more taxpayers dollars on his war agenda instead of SOCIAL SERVICES!! That makes head-kicker Peter Saunders a super loser.]
Tough luck! Kicks the poor to death
Australia is urged to adopt a United States-style welfare system, [?] cut welfare spending [social services spending] and encourage people to help themselves in a book on poverty published today.
Economy benefiting from non-profit institutions
Non-profit institutions are contributing $30 billion a year to Australia's economy. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found about a third of that comes from volunteers who worked free for more than 550 million hours in 1999/2000.
By Tom Cruiser 12 December 2002
SKIPPY: What they failed to tell you was that if in fact there are 'no jobs for all', then there is the matter of worthwhile jobs, if any at all, regardless if people are on social services or not, they still pay tax on everything.
Most people including the unemployed and disabled smoke, drink, eat, gamble, and buy goods. All the taxes are given back to the government that affords a safety net for people who are below the means test and who at that time in need of support.
If the government who reap tax and lucrative royalties from mining etc... take into account the marginalised, then look into why these people are marginalised, they may find out it is because of the governments own policy like ex-prisoners don't get employed.
These people do some volunteer work as well, saving the country millions. No-one complained during the Olympic games in Sydney and no-one put their hand out for the royalties the government mined out of the country.
Related:
EX-PRISONER UNEMPLOYMENT: SENTENCED FOR LIFE
Name removed by request served time in prison decades ago. Shes still being punished today. According to commonwealth and state legislation, ex-prisoners applying for jobs must declare any conviction that fits into the following categories: less than 10 years old, more than 10 years old but served more than 30 months in prison.
Unemployed farm postings would cost jobs: AWU
The Australian Workers Union has rejected a proposal to place work-for-the-dole participants on drought-affected rural properties.
Economy benefiting from non-profit institutions
Non-profit institutions are contributing $30 billion a year to Australia's economy. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found about a third of that comes from volunteers who worked free for more than 550 million hours in 1999/2000.
Tough luck! Kicks the poor to death
Australia is urged to adopt a United States-style welfare system, [?] cut welfare spending [social services spending] and encourage people to help themselves in a book on poverty published today.
NSW prisons - primary industry bailed up!
In many quiet regional centres around NSW there is a new primary industry shaping up. It has something to do with Bail but not with bales. The minister for Agriculture Richard Amery who also has the prisons portfolio is now committed to farming prisoners.
Robin Egan
Two thirds of fines are never collected because they go beyond the means of the defendants and because in lots of cases people do not see that they are responsible. Especially where people know their in the right and no fine ought to have been a penalty.
