Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) Media Release
ACOSS welcomes the House of Representatives Select Committee recommendations released today which, if implemented, would transform employment services for the better.
ACOSS Acting CEO Edwina MacDonald said: ‘’We urge the Federal Government to commit to the reforms recommended by this inquiry that would shift it from a system that punishes people towards one that opens up real employment opportunities.
“The fact that 600,000 people have been stuck on unemployment payments – many of them people with disability or older workers struggling to get a foothold in the labour market – is a sign of failure in the employment services system. We must do better.
“The most urgent reform recommended by the Committee is to end automated payment suspensions and ensure people have access to a human decision maker before payments are affected. In the three months to September, over 280,000 people were threatened – by computer – with the loss of their income support, often for minor infractions such as missing an appointment with an employment service provider that they didn’t know about.
“Cutting off someone’s income should never be a first resort and people should be given the chance to explain their situation before their payments are impacted. The government must act to stop automated payment suspensions now, before it becomes the next Robodebt tragedy. Until a fair alternative to the present system of unjust and automated suspensions is in place, we continue to urge for a pause in payment suspensions.
“The Committee proposes overdue, transformational reform to the 30-year-old employment services system in which private providers compete for the ‘business’ of helping people secure employment. This competitive model has not worked.
“ACOSS welcomes the proposed independent quality assurance body to manage complaints and set standards for employment services, including the qualifications of frontline employment services staff, and the creation of standing advisory bodies where people directly affected are directly represented.
“The proposed national wage subsidy and work experience schemes would offer people unemployed long-term the opportunity for experience in a regular, properly paid job. ACOSS advocates an offer of at least annual access to a wage subsidy, quality training, a job offer or health and social supports tailored to individual need. This should replace punitive and ineffective programs like Work for the Dole, which must be abolished.
“The proposed regional hubs and service gateways would join up local employment, community and training services, and connect them with employers.
“We will examine further the Committee’s recommendations over the coming weeks and commit to working with the government to implement much needed reforms.
“It is also vital to raise the rate of income support to at least $78 a day, so that people can afford the essentials of life while searching for employment.”
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It would be good to see the end of arbitrary payment suspensions. How having 100% of one’s income removed is supposed to help people who are already in poverty, and often disabled in some way, I don’t know. I have supported my unemployed adult offspring through periods without income because they need to pay rent, eat, run a car etc if they are ever to get a job. You’ve heard of the Bank of Mum; I have been the Centrelink of Mum, and I resent it.
I very much welcome an examination of the credentials of frontline staff, many of whom seem to have been selected for their positions based on having the lowest possible knowledge of their locality, combined with a complete absence of empathy
I would like to see 100% income payment suspension for all politicians who are shown to be scamming (anybody for an empty glass of MDB water for $80 MILLION?) or otherwise unsuitable for the job.
Bring back the Commonwealth Employment Service and give Australian taxpayers service value for money.
The one thing i havent heard yet is the total cessation of hostility towards the unemployed. All the dirty work in penalties and spying on bedrooms. The elimination of mutual obligations. The savings from eliminating the overbearing beauracracy.
NEC, I was working for the relevant government department when Howard killed off the CES and opened it up to Job Network Agencies.
Boy, have I got some stories of wrongdoing.
Unfortunately I can’t say anything: public servants sign a document that more or less cuts out our tongues. We have to keep our secrets even after leaving the service. Penalties are very high – up to 20 years imprisonment.
Get me drunk one night and you could prise it out of me. 😉
There’s a lot more risible history to be had from this failed privatization scheme where all who have inhabited parliament were fully aware of what was going on.
The moment that Howard took over in 1996 was the death knell of the country during his four successive terms, entitlement and superiority are no benchmark for Governance, which is still very evident today.
The September 2023 white paper has noted that the Howard government’s privatisation of the national employment network administered by the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES) has failed fundamentally in doing the job it was supposed to.
Privatisation it was reported had failed to connect job-seekers to labour markets let alone keep them in paid and gainful employment.
A central national job network such as the CES was a logical and effective service but as with all such things the conservative privatised it and broke the model. But guess what, the commonwealth continued to oversee the privatised network even though it no longer worked effectively.
@ Michael Taylor: I can recommend a very nice Cab Sav from the Granite Belt at Stanthorpe Qld.
@ Heather: Beautifully enunciated description of the Howard debacle, that set Australia back at least 12 years, then add the unproductive RAbbott Turdball Scummo imbroglio and 20+ years have been WASTED BY COALition misgovernment.
NEC,
How dare you! What a nerve, offering a Queensland red to a South Australian (ex-pat). If it’s not from the Barossa or the Coonawarra then it belongs in cooking.
However, I’ll accept a Drambuie.
Michael, respect your support of the SA wine regions and strong reds, but a tad harsh coming from a bloke who lives a stone’s throw away from the northern Victorian wine regions, and not too far away from the Tumbarumba district which produces some of the best Sav Blancs, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs etc. in the country.
Happy to share a Drambuie with you, should the opportunity arise.
The abject stupidity, cruelty and perniciousness of the employment / unemployment regime brought in by Howard is yet another reflection of the evil and divisive elitism ramped by that despot and his flunkies. All whilst doling out taxpayer’s hard-earned to well to do retirees (the blue rinse set) for votes (and not forgetting to his feckless brother).
Following the much needed industrial and social reforms of the Hawke-Keating governments, across the world, borrrowing sprees and asset devalutions gave rise to the 1987 international stock market crash, which in turn was followed by a surge in inflation, high interest rates and low employment. Nevertheless via the levers they had emplaced, Keating was managing to bring it under control, regardless the Liberal States (NSW & VIC) began to sell-off assets for a song, and the public was spooked, particularly by the divisive BS promulgated by Howard.
Rather than further refine and develop the good reforms of Hawke / Keating, Howard proceeded with an economic ‘culture war’, with the only concession being Hewson’s GST, albeit it was designed to phase out a number of various State and Territory Government taxes, duties and levies such as banking taxes and stamp duty, which were never pursued by Howard, nor enforced – and the people paid through the nose.
Howard, to balance his fetid books, went about his elitist economic ‘culture wars’, selling off public assets for a song in an unprecedented gouge of the people’s built-up national asset wealth to mostly unscrupulous privateers, who went on to rout the workforce, and overcharge for reduced services. Then he went about his campaign to crush the unions – the last remaining bulwark against the predations upon ordinary folk by the ravages of the invisible demons of ‘free-market’ forces.
Many Oz elite, became super-rich, whilst the disenfranchised ordinary folk had their jobs, income and savings drained, and the economy became a wreckage.
It was through this period that the evil Howard reintroduced the 1970’s term Liberal denigration “dole bludger”, and further regarding immigration, “we will decide who will come to this country, and the circumstances in which they come.” Only to go on and by stealth introduce usury, ill-treatment, slavery and exploitation of full and part-time immigrants via a corruptable visa system.
The Rudd / Gillard / Rudd governments did SFA about it, gutlessly fearing the changing world, and the LNP Abbott / Turnbull / Morrison governments just further entrenched it, bringing on further wreckage, during a period where the world was rapidly going to hell in a handcart fashioned by the now fully engorged and controlling ‘free-market’ privateers.
In the worst world-wide economic and environmental circumstances, the Albanese government is having a go at reversing the predations. It’s like trying to turn an engorged renegade super-tanker with a shovel as a rudder. And with all the wealth now in feckless private multi-nationals it’s a very tricky business. But what do we see from the LNP opposition? Are any bells ringing? We see more ‘culture wars’, but this time, more outrageous, again imported, and now hugely funded by the barons of profiteering despotism from Europe and America.
For those interested an interesting read on the history of the idea of welfare dependency
Did someone say we’re having a Drambuie party? Awesome. I’ll be there.
Is it b.y.o.?
Too much of this plonko raving… while we worry about the subject which has Heather and Clakka commenting with some acid accuracy. Jack Howard, an old classmate dud, helped cause trouble through imperious ignorance, Hawke and Keating had to battle through the 1987 problems, initiated by a Reagan/Volcker/ Friedman pontificating ignorance. We may never catch up decently again.., time lost. Now, let’s see, shiraz or a blend?
Phil, that would be my fault, as I tempted NEC to get me drunk so I could spill my secrets. I’m guilty of diverting this important discussion..
I should have suggested he – as with everyone else – patiently wait to see what’s in the documents released under the 30-year-rule. I think we’ve only about 12 years to wait.
Time for a brandy.
Slainte, skal, et salut.
Ps, my name’s corvus and I’m an alcoholic.
I’m about to finish the wine in front of me, (a shiraz) and to not care, even about caring…
On topic,
Imagine the secrets that folks currently or formerly employed by crony-firms specialising in privatised outsourcing of former PS activities must have stashed away in the locked-up dungeons halfway between their minds and mouths.
One notable example of this new breed of sworn-to-silence para-bureaucracy for hire would be the myriad and multitudinous myrmidon mercenaries and minions contractually employed by Serco (C) [TM], who provide everything from office clerks to prison screws, no questions asked or answered.
Ps, sorry Phil, sometimes a home-brewed nightcap of semi-acerglyn mead can induce heavy alliterations.
Thanks for the invite,
Tried very very hard to be an alcoholic, but kept on seeing things that made it worse.
So 15 years ago gave it up, only to see more things, more clearly.
Nevertheless, I don’t forsake my friends, and will join them to enjoy whatever is of their choosing (incl. all / any of the aforementioned).
Cheers
Since 2022, I sent multiple emails to ACOSS asking to stop another illegal debt scheme run by Services Australia.. Services Australia forced me into significant debts as a result of their review decision made by an anonymous “delegate or authorised officer”, not an authorised review officer (required by law). The review decision is void simply because it was made by an unqualified person. Yet Services Australia used it to get thousands of dollars from my payments. ACOSS and Services Australia declined to comment. PM’s office told me they won’t reply to my report of abuse.
In addition to this, Services Australia issued 2 debt notices demanding over $4000 of rent assistance I received as a jobseeker paying private rent. After waiving over $3600, they sent me a similar debt notice (around $400). ACOS is well aware of this scheme as well. Can someone get a response from ACOSS?
Clakka’s recommended article, linked at the end of his first post, is a very worthwhile read on the history of the concept of dole bludging or pauperism.