Showing posts with label unemployed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unemployed. Show all posts

Australian Politics is Skewed to the Right - The Poor Vote for Them!

Politics: Malcolm Turnbull favors is own class.
Malcom Turnbull is hitting at the lower working class and the poor - blaming them for their situation. Though Australia appears to be a relatively "level" society, this is not the case. There is the same inequality here as in other Western countries.
Malcolm Turnbull laughing
Increasing the cost of university places hits poor families. His children have been spoon-fed from the honey jar all their lives. The Prime Minister does not know what poverty is. The arrogance of the man when he says the states will pay the full cost of public schools while the federal government will subsidize private schools. It is obvious who he really cares about - the well-off.

Increasing job finding training for the long-term unemployed is treating the effect not the cause. Unless the unemployed get better work skills they will remain on the dole. This is not their fault. Where are the poor going to get the money to pay for TAFE training now the government is charging for it? There is a shortage of skilled workers. There is always a glut of unskilled people looking for jobs. They chase the few vacant places in the fixed market.

Giving tax cuts to high earners was a real "kick in the guts" for the poor. It astounds me how the Australian public can vote a right-wing party into government when it does nothing for them. Tony Abbott would fit nicely into the British Conservative Party. He is an out and out Tory! He is not even a true Australian - born in London.
 Politics by Ty Buchanan 
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No Sympathy for the Unemployed

Even though Australia is booming with the economic downturn hurting elsewhere, the unemployed are being targeted by the government. Several years ago pensioners were given a significant rise in payments. The unemployment rate remained the same. The "dole" is indexed to inflation, but it remains very low.

Youth Allowance is paid to young people to the age of 20, full-time student under 24, and also apprentices to this age. Those living at home receive A$110.15 a week (2010). Independent recipients get A$167.35. Living away from home, sharing the rent of a house could easily cost more than A$100.00 a week. Attending university would be just as expensive, so the burden falls on parents.

Newstart which is the actual "dole" paid to eligible unemployed workers over 18 years is A$228.00 a week. There are severe restrictions on getting the full amount. Recipients must sign an Unemployment Pathway Plan (Activity Agreement) where they are monitored and told to do certain activities in preparation for work. If they earn more than A$32.00 a week the benefit is reduced. It ends entirely when income reaches A$228.00.

Those who own a home must have assets valued below A$161.500 to receive the full rate. Non-homeowners can have A$278,500 of assets. More benefits are paid to people who have children. Rent assistance can also be obtained.

Conservative governments tend to be harder on dole recipients. John Howard, for example, toughened Activity Agreements. The present Labor government has not increased the unemployment rate. Obviously, sympathy for the unemployed is not important to them either. Labor has got rid of Work for the Dole for those unemployed for more than six months.

Government policy on all sides seems to be to keep the unemployed on their toes and anxious. Because there are few jobs available unless you move to the bush to mining companies, this appears to be the only purpose. learning to use computers, write resumes and do interviews serves no real function. Australia's workforce is becoming increasingly part-time and "casualized". Many work three days a week or less. Little research has been done into under-employment in this country.
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