The government's latest exercise in taking money from those who need it to give to those who don't. Taxpayers will now be funding a new government program of cash payments to employers, in an attempt to encourage businesses to employ people for as long as someone else pays for it.
The new scam...err...scheme also includes targeted programs for Indigenous jobseekers based on the government's review into Indigenous jobs and training. It was suggested that the review be carried out by someone who had a true understanding and affinity with indigenous people living in remote communities, where jobs, services and income is scarce. Billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest being the government's obvious choice. Forrest's recommendations include replacing financial support with a Welfare card which, while paternalistic, demeaning and counter-productive, at least does away with the nasty business of giving cash to people who don't own their own business. The review also recommends placing a number of humiliating obligations on indigenous job seekers, because it's about time indigenous people started giving something back to rich, white businessmen in this country. Not that there are that many potential employers for the government to give cash payments to in return for employing people in remote indigenous communities, apart from billionaire mining magnets of course.
So after two decades of cuts to unemployment benefits and job creation programs, and more obligations on the unemployed, it looks like the government is finally cracking down on job seekers. Because Tony Abbott doesn't get paid half a million dollars a year by the tax payer (plus expenses and a fat pension guaranteed for life) to allow public money to be wasted on people who can't do their job.
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/mar/31/employers-to-be-of...