Young and without work? Take up fruit picking, says Liberal senator Eric Abetz

Date
    May 26, 2014


Are you young and unemployed?

Take up fruit picking in Tasmania, says Employment Minister Eric Abetz as he defended unpopular changes to Newstart that would force people under the age of 30 to wait six months before receiving any unemployment benefits.      :(

The government is facing a tough time convincing the Parliament to support the measure, with both Labor and the Greens signalling they are opposed.


Senator Abetz: ''If people can come from overseas to pick the fruit in Tasmania one wonders why potentially young unemployed Tasmanians couldn't do the same task."

On Monday, Senator Abetz said young people who were able to work had no right to rely on their fellow Australians to subsidise them.


Instead, they should be prepared to take on any task, as he did in university when he did a bread delivery run, drove a taxi and worked on a chicken farm.

''The sad thing is in my home state of Tasmania over 90 per cent of fruit pickers come from overseas,'' he told ABC radio.

''If people can come from overseas to pick the fruit in Tasmania one wonders why potentially young unemployed Tasmanians couldn't do the same task.''

In addition to fruit-picking, a popular income supplement for backpackers the world over, Senator Abetz said young Tasmanians could take up other seasonal jobs or work on a dairy farm.

''There is no right to demand from your fellow Australians that just because you don't want to do a bread delivery or a taxi run or a stint as a farmhand that you should therefore be able to rely on your fellow Australian to subsidise you,'' he said.

Senator Abetz, who is the government leader in the Senate, said the government would try to find "common ground" with opposition members and crossbenchers who were hostile to many of the government's budget measures.

He said it was imperative that the Parliament passed the budget.

''Everybody seeks to posture at the beginning of negotiations that might need to take place and I'll listen very carefully to all the suggestions that are made,'' he said.

''I'm sure that when confronted with the details and the fact that we are simply borrowing to pay the interest I think that most senators will acknowledge that that is unsustainable.''

Senator Abetz also took a swipe at Greens Leader Christine Milne, labelling her "two-faced" after she said Prime Minister Tony Abbott had neither the skills nor the personality to be able to negotiate with senators.

Senator Abetz said "When it comes to extreme policy positions I think everybody accepts that the Greens have the mortgage on that in our Australian parliament," he said.

''I just find it somewhat bemusing that she believes that she somehow is the negotiator and the compromiser when it is always the extreme Green way or nothing at all.

''The commentary from Senator Milne . . . I'll be polite and just call it somewhat two-faced.''

Meanwhile, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has rejected suggestions Labor is taking a ''wrecking approach'' to the government's budget.      :)

Mr Bowen said on Monday that Labor would fight changes such as the co-payment as a matter of principle but won't oppose the deficit levy.    

''We're not taking a wrecking approach, we are taking a case by case approach, but it is being informed by our values and principles,'' he told ABC radio.

''We'll be as constructive as we can be.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/young-and-without-work-take-up-fruit-picking-says-liberal-senator-eric-abetz-20140526-38xmb.html#ixzz32m9e8Xwu

With a limited number of positions, you can't expect everyone to do this.

Senator Abetz: ''If people can come from overseas to pick the fruit in Tasmania one wonders why potentially young unemployed Tasmanians couldn't do the same task

Dear Senator

People don't come from overseas to pick the fruit in Tasmania.  They come over here on working holidays and need to work to maintain a visa and get it extended.  They not only pick fruit in Tasmania, Dear Senator.  The whole idea of working holidays is to travel around Australia, following the fruit/vegetable trail to earn money to go to the next place.

Is this idiot for real?

whats wrong with that.... oh thats right crook is too much of a snob to pick fruit.. OMG.. what no union for fruit pickers..

dunno about you guys but I like my fruit I prefer it if its grown here.. all of which means it has to be picked...maybe they could hire an elephant to go around shaking the trees... ::)

would that suit lefties.. >:(

Do they want us to pay our way to Tasmania o take these jobs?

Facebook lights up over suggestion Tasmanians should leave to find work

    NICK CLARK
    Mercury
    May 24, 2014


TASMANIANS have reacted swiftly and strongly to Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s suggestion that young unemployed people should move if they can’t find a job in Tasmania.

The Mercury’s Facebook site and website were inundated with comments opposed to Mr Abbott’s statement in Hobart this week, that moving out of the state would not be the “worst outcome in the world’’.

“People came to Tasmania in order to better their lives. So, I don’t think we should be necessarily heartbroken just because some people choose to move,” he said.

The story on Facebook attracted almost 100,000 views.

State Growth Minister Matthew Groom denied Mr Abbott’s comments were at odds with the State Government’s policy to expand the population to 650,000 by 2050.

He said part of the policy to expand the economy was to attract people to the State.

“We think it’s important to have ambition to grow the Tasmanian economy and growing our population is a big part of that,” he said.

Youth Network of Tasmania chief executive Joanna Seijka said Mr Abbott’s comments failed to recognise the reality of the plight faced by many young Tasmanians.

“Our young people need support, not to be forced to move from the State,” Ms Seijka said.      ;)

“There is a very real risk that if things don’t go well – if there isn’t a job for them at the other end or if that job isn’t sustainable – then young people will be on the downward spiral to poverty and homelessness.”

A member of the Mercury and Sunday Tasmanian’s Our Kids: Our Future campaign, Scott Cullen, 24, said he was not considering moving interstate to find work.

“There are moving costs and trying to find somewhere to live,” he said. “If you can’t get a job you can’t live anywhere.”      :(

Mr Cullen, of Claremont, said he had done two courses – in traffic control and construction – but had not worked since last year.

University of Tasmania School of Social Sciences lecturer Brendan Churchill said Mr Abbott’s comments were a distraction from the issue of what the Government was going to do to create employment.

“The Government needs to do more than say ‘just move somewhere else’,” he said.      :(

Brotherhood of St Laurence senior manager of Youth Programs Sally James said many young people did not have employment skills and would be wasting time if they relocated.

Labor Senator Carol Brown said Mr Abbott should apologise to young Tasmanian jobseekers for suggesting they should leave to find a job.

“Tasmania has some of the highest youth unemployment in Australia and the solution isn’t shipping our best and brightest young people off the island,” she said.

Employment Minister Eric Abetz said Tasmanians could not expect their fellow Australians to pay them to stay at home when there were suitable job opportunities for them elsewhere in Australia.

“As we know, there have been many harvesting jobs go begging in Tasmania, which have been taken up by people that have travelled from the other side of the world,” he said.

“More recently a delegation has gone to New Zealand to find farm workers at a time when we have the highest rate of unemployment.”

So which is it, should people move over to Tasmania to find work?.  Or should they move over here to the mainland?.  The liberal government, what a bunch of gooses.     :(    

wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 10:15am:

Young and without work? Take up fruit picking, says Liberal senator Eric Abetz Date     May 26, 2014 Are you young and unemployed? Take up fruit picking in Tasmania, says Employment Minister Eric Abetz as he defended unpopular changes to Newstart that would force people under the age of 30 to wait six months before receiving any unemployment benefits.      :( The government is facing a tough time convincing the Parliament to support the measure, with both Labor and the Greens signalling they are opposed. Senator Abetz: ''If people can come from overseas to pick the fruit in Tasmania one wonders why potentially young unemployed Tasmanians couldn't do the same task." On Monday, Senator Abetz said young people who were able to work had no right to rely on their fellow Australians to subsidise them. Instead, they should be prepared to take on any task, as he did in university when he did a bread delivery run, drove a taxi and worked on a chicken farm. ''The sad thing is in my home state of Tasmania over 90 per cent of fruit pickers come from overseas,'' he told ABC radio. ''If people can come from overseas to pick the fruit in Tasmania one wonders why potentially young unemployed Tasmanians couldn't do the same task.'' In addition to fruit-picking, a popular income supplement for backpackers the world over, Senator Abetz said young Tasmanians could take up other seasonal jobs or work on a dairy farm. ''There is no right to demand from your fellow Australians that just because you don't want to do a bread delivery or a taxi run or a stint as a farmhand that you should therefore be able to rely on your fellow Australian to subsidise you,'' he said. Senator Abetz, who is the government leader in the Senate, said the government would try to find "common ground" with opposition members and crossbenchers who were hostile to many of the government's budget measures. He said it was imperative that the Parliament passed the budget. ''Everybody seeks to posture at the beginning of negotiations that might need to take place and I'll listen very carefully to all the suggestions that are made,'' he said. ''I'm sure that when confronted with the details and the fact that we are simply borrowing to pay the interest I think that most senators will acknowledge that that is unsustainable.'' Senator Abetz also took a swipe at Greens Leader Christine Milne, labelling her "two-faced" after she said Prime Minister Tony Abbott had neither the skills nor the personality to be able to negotiate with senators. Senator Abetz said "When it comes to extreme policy positions I think everybody accepts that the Greens have the mortgage on that in our Australian parliament," he said. ''I just find it somewhat bemusing that she believes that she somehow is the negotiator and the compromiser when it is always the extreme Green way or nothing at all. ''The commentary from Senator Milne . . . I'll be polite and just call it somewhat two-faced.'' Meanwhile, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has rejected suggestions Labor is taking a ''wrecking approach'' to the government's budget.      :) Mr Bowen said on Monday that Labor would fight changes such as the co-payment as a matter of principle but won't oppose the deficit levy.     ''We're not taking a wrecking approach, we are taking a case by case approach, but it is being informed by our values and principles,'' he told ABC radio. ''We'll be as constructive as we can be.'' Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/young-and-without-work-take-up-fruit-picking-says-liberal-senator-eric-abetz-20140526-38xmb.html#ixzz32m9e8Xwu

The BLATANT DECEPTION of senator Eric Abetz he know fruit growers don't stand at the front gate begging everybody come and destroy their fruit, they use time honoured fruit pickers who know what they doing.

If Eric Abet's the unemployed showed up they would eat all his fruit while waiting for the first cheque.

Eric Abetz is a joke extreme! 

DaS Energy wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 10:59am:

Eric Abetz is a joke extreme!

Abetz, Arab Joe, the woman basher, the poodle, et al.

All jokes.

The problem is, nobody's laughing.

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 10:32am:

Do they want us to pay our way to Tasmania o take these jobs?

Of course.

Don't be surprised when you get there, you are told you must be staying at the backpacker hostel to work on the orchard.

I live in a fruit growing area and the locals can't get on, the jobs are strictly reserved for backpackes. The farmers do some sort of a deal with the hostel owners. I've spoken to some of the backpackers, the wages are atrocious, nothing more than pocket money after lodging has been deducted from their wages.

greggerypeccary wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 11:11am:

DaS Energy wrote on May 26th, 2014 at 10:59am: Eric Abetz is a joke extreme!  Abetz, Arab Joe, the woman basher, the poodle, et al. All jokes. The problem is, nobody's laughing.

Should we stop laughing somebody is liable to invoke ordinance 303.

This guy is an idiot. The reason why 90 percent of pickers are from overseas is because they are on a 457 visa and our racist government wants them to do these jobs at the expense of Aussies. Most of the pickers are Asian workers with little or no English skills and they are employed by greedy Asian contractors who take a large percentage of their pay, so its exploitation all round.

Of course the racist growers would happily employ Asian workers over Aussies any day. Because A they work harder and work for far less, so there is your other problem, exploitation.

Most orchard work is contract based, you only get payed by what you prune or pick, so if the trees are light on fruit, then your pay packet is light on money. You normally have to sign a waiver stating that if you fall off the ladder and are injured, the company will take no responsibility for your medical expenses.

It's also extremely dangerous work, so injury in not uncommon. When you have a 10 to 15 kilo boat of fruit around your shoulders and you are standing at the top of a ten foot ladder, you need to make sure you don't lose your footing.

Other occupational hazards include heat stroke, dehydration, and exposure to cancerous pesticides. The orchard industry is one of the most exploitative industries you could ever work in.
If you are a foreigner there will always be a job for you in the orchard, but if you are an Aussie you are wasting your time.

If this clown had worked in an Orchard he might have a valid case but being a taxi driver, a delivery driver and working on a chicken farm are light duties compared with working as an orchard worker. So he is way out of his league on this one.

Where is the "in Tasmania' part of that quote??

fractalign wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 6:09pm:

This guy is an idiot. The reason why 90 percent of pickers are from overseas is because they are on a 457 visa and our racist government wants them to do these jobs at the expense of Aussies. Most of the pickers are Asian workers with little or no English skills and they are employed by greedy Asian contractors who take a large percentage of their pay, so its exploitation all round. Of course the racist growers would happily employ Asian workers over Aussies any day. Because A they work harder and work for far less, so there is your other problem, exploitation. Most orchard work is contract based, you only get payed by what you prune or pick, so if the trees are light on fruit, then your pay packet is light on money. You normally have to sign a waiver stating that if you fall off the ladder and are injured, the company will take no responsibility for your medical expenses. It's also extremely dangerous work, so injury in not uncommon. When you have a 10 to 15 kilo boat of fruit around your shoulders and you are standing at the top of a ten foot ladder, you need to make sure you don't lose your footing. Other occupational hazards include heat stroke, dehydration, and exposure to cancerous pesticides. The orchard industry is one of the most exploitative industries you could ever work in. If you are a foreigner there will always be a job for you in the orchard, but if you are an Aussie you are wasting your time. If this clown had worked in an Orchard he might have a valid case but being a taxi driver, a delivery driver and working on a chicken farm are light duties compared with working as an orchard worker. So he is way out of his league on this one.

Let me put this gently to such a wise and learned scholar, when you come to my big party, bring a dinner plate or shuffle off back to playing with your dolls set!

When you grow up and mummy buys you some long pants, don't head off to work in a orchard or market garden the fears and dangers will have you trying to get compo within an hour MR BIGSHOT!

Just on the news. The orchard owners don't want our unemployed, said they are of no use to them, they never advertise for them because the work only lasts for about six weeks that's why they get backpackers and itinerants, people passing through. The farmers said to the government.....don't dump your unemployment problem onto us.

She didn't say the backpackers work for a bowl of rice, I suppose she didn't want to draw attention to that.

Case closed.....no one is going fruit picking. Another government fail!

Vic wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 10:24am:

Senator Abetz: ''If people can come from overseas to pick the fruit in Tasmania one wonders why potentially young unemployed Tasmanians couldn't do the same task Dear Senator People don't come from overseas to pick the fruit in Tasmania.  They come over here on working holidays and need to work to maintain a visa and get it extended.  They not only pick fruit in Tasmania, Dear Senator.  The whole idea of working holidays is to travel around Australia, following the fruit/vegetable trail to earn money to go to the next place. Is this idiot for real?

yeah what?

makes perfect sense to me... why aren't the lazy bastards picking fruit?

Tasmania has the highest unemployment rate in Australia so how is it there is one left job in the place?

I Travelled and Lived in Mildura picking fruit when I was young and unemployed at one time....


it was great!!!

I enjoyed it, I felt good about doing something and not just sitting around the house going "woe is me  :'( "

I worked hard, drank a little and added some life skills etc to the resume..  :)

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 10:32am:

Do they want us to pay our way to Tasmania o take these jobs?

I bet you've got money for alcohol, smokes, phone, internet and all the other useless things of life...

spend $50 and get down to Tassie...

Travel the state while you are down there... its a fantastic state to visit..

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 12:12pm:

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on May 26th, 2014 at 10:32am: Do they want us to pay our way to Tasmania o take these jobs? Of course. Don't be surprised when you get there, you are told you must be staying at the backpacker hostel to work on the orchard. I live in a fruit growing area and the locals can't get on, the jobs are strictly reserved for backpackes. The farmers do some sort of a deal with the hostel owners. I've spoken to some of the backpackers, the wages are atrocious, nothing more than pocket money after lodging has been deducted from their wages.

absolute crap...

the caravan parks are full of back packers during the season...

if  you work hard you can make good money..

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 7:44pm:

Just on the news. The orchard owners don't want our unemployed, said they are of no use to them, they never advertise for them because the work only lasts for about six weeks that's why they get backpackers and itinerants, people passing through. The farmers said to the government.....don't dump your unemployment problem onto us. She didn't say the backpackers work for a bowl of rice, I suppose she didn't want to draw attention to that. Case closed.....no one is going fruit picking. Another government fail!

Y'know, that kinda makes sense, if you can think outside the 'square' of the 'Young unemployed are all bludgers and
refuse to look for work. Let's force them to go fruit-picking or lose their dole' mentality.

Like, why drag untrained and inexperienced people away from their homes and families for what amounts to only a few
weeks' work when there is already a tailor-made itinerant workforce of backpackers and those who 'follow the fruit' to
choose from? Many of whom are already trained and experienced, and ready to go.

Makes sense. Unemployed lefties would be the worst type of employees. Wouldn't know a hard days work and would whine and moan about everything. 'Ive got blisters wahhhh' 'the toilet paper hurts my bot bot wahhhh' 'Im going to see the union wahhhhh'
::)

Kytro wrote on May 26^th, 2014 at 10:19am:

With a limited number of positions, you can't expect everyone to do this.

Of course not, but you must admit he does make a very good and valid point.

Armchair_Politician wrote on May 27^th, 2014 at 3:54am:

Kytro wrote on May 26th, 2014 at 10:19am: With a limited number of positions, you can't expect everyone to do this. Of course not, but you must admit he does make a very good and valid point.

I'd say he and his cronies would make a better point if they said we have a fantastic plan to rebuild Australia and make it viable with full employment - jobs are on offer in the Pilbara and the Lake Eyre Basin for people willing to live in simple accommodation at a fair rate while working at full rates to develop major projects that will see Australia into the 22nd Century on a new wave of prosperity.

Infrastructure!  Join the Gold Rush NOW!

Instead we have - Infrastructure - let's join the gold rushers in their fracking of resources and pretend we are building highways/railways for the future!