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| Government Policy | |
ABC-2002-12-05
reveals the latest piece of interventionist idiocy 'under consideration' from
the government is to
assist drought-stricken farmers by throwing a current unused resource at them -
people working for the dole. The plan is to move these people away from
sweeping roads or whatever they currently do, into something useful - building
infrastructure for the governments latest pet corporate welfare recipients -
farmers. Unfortunately for them, the Australian Workers Union AWU has kicked up,
pointing out that if farmers can get the workers for nothing, then current employees will lose their
jobs. A rare example of insight from a union! The whole issue points out the idiocy of a work for the dole scheme. The
'dolees' can either
- Do something useful; or
- Do something useless
If they are doing something useful (ie something which would be worth
paying money for), then someone is already being paid to do it, so you are just
creating more unemployment (less people
paying tax, and more people getting welfare). On the other hand if they are doing something useless, then what's the point? The logical conclusion of work-for-the-dole is to sack everyone, and put
everyone onto work for the dole schemes - ie run a command economy. For a
government ostensibly opposed such a system they are flirting with the
prospect to a disturbing extent. It's the old story - the government has to appear to be doing something,
and doing something which makes the situation worse is better than doing
nothing at all.
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