Julia Banks challenged to live on Youth Allowance

[davidc4430]

Liberal backbencher Julia Banks challenged to live on Youth Allowance payments after 'insulting' comments

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/liberal-backbencher-challenged-to-live-on-$40-a-day/9720950

these 'challenges' have been made in the past to well off politicians with big mouths, usually they run and hide.

i suspect julia will do the same.

[chameleon54]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

How working for free went mainstream

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/what-job-ads-reveal-about-the-rising-internship-culture/971391...

we have 'work for the dole' and 'internships'

how many other free workers positions are out there?

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Theres one hundred and one ways businesses are exploiting people on the bottom of the employment ladder and it seems to be getting worse.

Having said that one of my nephews did a Christmas break, unpaid internship with one of Australias largest and most " prestigous " finance houses that specialise in foreign currancy trading etc. As a result he has been offered a permenant job when he completes his uni studies on a six figure starting salary. So it seems the system does have some use as a way for companies to " try before they buy " so as to speak.

Like everything there will always be some who will rort the system, ( and rorting any government scheme seems to be a national sport for everyone from the bottom to the top of the heap ) but if young people are finding genuine careers through the scheme it probably has its place.  .

[chameleon54]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

How working for free went mainstream

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/what-job-ads-reveal-about-the-rising-internship-culture/971391...

we have 'work for the dole' and 'internships'

how many other free workers positions are out there?

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I dont buy the argument that  work for the dole is " free labour ".  While there are valid arguments that people on " work for the dole " are not being properly recompensed for their labor, they are being paid for that labour through the dole. Some are gaining valuable work skills that they then use in other regular paid employment.

There are simply not enough jobs to go around and low skilled workers are being impacted more by technology changes than skilled workers. While we can argue about the finer points of the scheme, what is wrong with the basic tenant that governments will provide these unemployed workers with part time work in exchange for the dole ? There are plenty of things that contribute to society in general, that are not currently done by public servents.

Or are there some on the dole who feel they are entitled to a living wage, paid for by others who are working, but dont believe they should contribute anything in return ?

[bright.ton42]

"Not everyone is cut out for a sales career, " 

So true.    When you're down and out, desperate,  low  esteem etc  pretty hard to show the bright confidence and enthusiasm required for such a job.   

[davidc4430]

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@chameleon54 wrote:

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@davidc4430 wrote:

How working for free went mainstream

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/what-job-ads-reveal-about-the-rising-internship-culture/971391...

we have 'work for the dole' and 'internships'

how many other free workers positions are out there?

---

I dont buy the argument that  work for the dole is " free labour ".  While there are valid arguments that people on " work for the dole " are not being properly recompensed for their labor, they are being paid for that labour through the dole. Some are gaining valuable work skills that they then use in other regular paid employment.

There are simply not enough jobs to go around and low skilled workers are being impacted more by technology changes than skilled workers. While we can argue about the finer points of the scheme, what is wrong with the basic tenant that governments will provide these unemployed workers with part time work in exchange for the dole ? There are plenty of things that contribute to society in general, that are not currently done by public servents.

Or are there some on the dole who feel they are entitled to a living wage, paid for by others who are working, but dont believe they should contribute anything in return ?

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well heres an idea, if your on the 'dole' and you put your hand up to do 'work for the dole' and you are accepted, every day you 'work for the dole' you get paid minimum wage? or the wage a person doing what ever your being required to do would get in the real world.?

that would seem fair to me and i bet a lot more people would be putting their hands up (not that they get a choice) and most of the negative publicity would go away.

[myoclon1cjerk]

I put this link on the government thread.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/19/two-years-after-josh-park-fungs-death-his-fami...

Tbis guy was working 50 hours per fortnight for his $450 payment. $9 per hour. Slave labour.

[zanadoo_56]

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@bright.ton42 wrote:

"Not everyone is cut out for a sales career, "

So true.    When you're down and out, desperate,  low  esteem etc  pretty hard to show the bright confidence and enthusiasm required for such a job.   

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And there's a point I'd like to make.  Whenever the media reports on employers finding it hard to fill positions the employer says 'no one on the dole has applied'.  As they go on and on about it, there seems to be the expectation that any unemployed person can do any job that is available.  It's not true. 

If that was the case we could all be brain surgeons, or train elephants, or you're a farmer but have been assigned an office job as a finance clerk, or you might apply for a job singing and dancing (even if tone deaf with two left feet)....or (God forbid) end up a politician.

I would also suggest that with the government contracting out the various training schemes into the commercial sector (and we've seen some of the rorts that has produced), government support for TAFE wasnt exactly a priority for a while and trade apprenticeships have suffered.

It's not simply technology that's the issue.  I was job trained in a non-tech era and eventually adapted to using it full time in a work environment....but then again I also liked it.  Australia also needs plumbers, scientists, engineers etc - none of which I had the interest or aptitude or training to undertake (....let alone becoming that brain surgeon).

As an aside....anyone seen the TV series Undercover Boss (in its various forms)?  One thing is clear over and over.....the bosses can't do the so-called easy jobs.  They make big mistakes or are too slow, or too unfit to keep up....and how surprised they are too that the job they thought was going to be a doddle was anything but.

One size doesn't fit all.  Neither does one job.

[davidc4430]

i was going to become a politician but cant aford the labotomy

[myoclon1cjerk]

The government gives those working for the dole an extra $20.80 per fortnight to cover their travel expenses. Those working 50 hours per fortnight would have to attend at least 6 days to cover those hours. That's less than $3.50 per workday. In other words the majority undertaking this scam would be worse off financially.Pathetic.

[myoclon1cjerk]

This^^^^ from a government who until recently (when the waste hit the fan) were going to hand out $400 million to a South African company to mine coal in South Africa. Their eligibilty for this largesse was their being registered on the ASX. All their management,staff and operations are based overseas.

[springyzone]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

Liberal backbencher Julia Banks challenged to live on Youth Allowance payments after 'insulting' comments

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/liberal-backbencher-challenged-to-live-on-$40-a-day/9720950

these 'challenges' have been made in the past to well off politicians with big mouths, usually they run and hide.

i suspect julia will do the same.

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Anyone could do it.. for a week.

That's because if they do it for eg a week or so, they might not even have to go out and buy any food, there might be enough in their pantry to tide them over.

They have a wardrobe full of clothes so no need to buy new ones. In other words, wealthy people can afford to go easy on spending for a week or so, no sweat.

The only valid test would be to put them in a unit with some minimal food supplies, a car with an almost empty tank and where they had to fulfil their normal duties but without being allowed any perks. And where their gas & electricity use showed on a meter and that would come out of their allowance too, along with basic rent etc

People on the dole are expected to attend job interviews & travel & pay their bills so it would be no different.

I think it would be an interesting exercise. It would need someone monitoring them though so it isn't going to happen.

I suspect the first shock would come when they realised they actually couldn't afford to dine at parliament house, subsidised or not, because there wouldn't be enough left over for electricity & they couldn't afford the bad publicity if they failed the test.

Then the second shock would come when they realised they couldn't dine out with friends for the next month, they couldn't go on a trip anywhere or a weekend away, they couldn't afford the hairdresser... and so on.

Yes, it would be an interesting test.. but it would need to go for about a month. I'm betting they would dip out though, saying their duties were so important they had to be places on time etc so needed their perks.