Australian Politics Forum - Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In

imcrookonit

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Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Aug 12^th, 2010 at 7:49am

With the election only a week and a half away, should the unemployed lodge a protest vote?. The low income workers have had a fair and just pay rise. (As they should have). The pensioners have had a fair and just increase. (As they should have). However there has been nothing said by both the labor or liberals, about a fair and just increase in benefits for the unemployed people. Yes I know there has been talk about relocation allowances, which may or may not be all well and good. In any case still no mention of a fair increase, for people that are unfortunate enough to be unemployed. With the election coming up, what better way to get the message across to the two main party's. The Australian greens support a fair and just increase for the unemployed. Unemployed people send labor and liberal a message on election day. Do not vote labor, do not vote liberal.

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imcrookonit Ex Member	Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In Reply #1 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 7:53am For a fair go for the unemployed. Vote1- Australian Greens. The fair and sensible people. (Send the others a protest vote).
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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #2 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 7:57am

I spent a few hours pre-polling in a marginal western sydney seat and the wilderness society is running a campaign to make people aware that Labor and Liberal parties support the burning of wombat habitat for electricity.

I suggest unemployed ... and those that think the unemployed should not be punished for market conditions and bad business/government decisions ... should consider forming a lobby group and start targeting marginal seats. May be a little late this election, yet if things don't change soon, it is an issue worth fighting for.

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BlOoDy RiPpEr

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #3 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 8:39am

If unemployment handouts were fair, what incentive would there be to get them into a job?
Unemployment would rise as there will be less people willing to work.
Then Australia would suffer from a Labour shortage.
I Would like to see an end to Unemployment handouts for those under 30's as there is a large demand for workers in that age group. then the money saved could be directed to aged pensions

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Dnarever

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #4 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 9:46am

I would think it foolhard for the unemployed to risk votes which do not oppose the Liberals unless they want the Tont Abbot policies implimented with things like extending the travel requirement and making it more difficult in many areas like increased obligation quicker time before work for the benifit etc.

While Labor have done little to help the Lib option would be to damage the unemployed.

I would think a strong protest to the greens may be justifiable as long as the Liberals are not on their downstream options. A vote for anyone which ends up counting for the liberals for the unemployed would be shooting yourself in the foot (mayby even the head).

.

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James Bluntus

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #5 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 10:57am

While it is true the majority of people on the Unemployment benefits are true claims that are trying to get a job, there are a small percentage of people who aren't even attempting to get a job. As a result, I believe that if people want the Unemployment benefit, they should be made to apply for a certain amount of jobs at a time. If they don't, they don't get their payment for the week. That way, we can assure that the payments aren't abused and they are actively trying to get a job.

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Keep David Harris for Wyong. He gets things done.

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Equitist

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #6 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 11:14am

James Bluntus wrote on Aug 12^th, 2010 at 10:57am:

While it is true the majority of people on the Unemployment benefits are true claims that are trying to get a job, there are a small percentage of people who aren't even attempting to get a job. As a result, I believe that if people want the Unemployment benefit, they should be made to apply for a certain amount of jobs at a time. If they don't, they don't get their payment for the week. That way, we can assure that the payments aren't abused and they are actively trying to get a job.

I have no doubt that unemployment and underemployment levels are much higher than we are being lead to believe. I also agree, that the majority of Australia's unemployed are being conveniently demonised, vilified and scapegoated. However, it is widely known that unemployment benefits are well below subsistence-level already - and that Australia's unemployed are suffering unconscionable levels of deprivation and stress.

Therefore, the inevitable socio-economic results, of even more draconian measures, will only lead to increased deprivation, insecurity, anxiety, depression, suicides, crime, etc. - and it is in everybody's interests to implement a range of positive and compassionate interventions, with more support and carrots and less sticks...

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Lamenting the shift in the Australian psyche, away from the egalitarian ideal of the fair-go - and the rise of short-sighted pollies, who worship the 'Growth Fairy' and seek to divide and conquer!

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imcrookonit

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #7 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 12:09pm

Unlike some people I do not see the unemployment benefit as a hand out. Nor should it be seen as such, as it was never intended to be a hand out. We also must remember several things. The unemployed most certainly do have to comply with the rules, and those rule are enforced. They must look for jobs, or if not they are indeed punished, by having their already ridiculously low benefits partly cut. Let us also remember those that are working today, could very well be unemployed tomorrow. Yes the unemployed should protest on August 21, don't vote labor or liberal send them a protest. After all lets remember, the unemployed vote too.

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aikmann4 Gold Member Offline Posts: 2093 canberra	Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In Reply #8 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 12:12pm I don't want benefits. I want a JOB. I would be more than willing to support a politician who came up with some sort of concrete solution to really assisting the unemployed find work. I'd gladly take an agency I know was actually doing something for me (which I know mine isn't) over my dole cheque.
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Equitist

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #9 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 12:16pm

I'd go further, and suggest that all human beings have inherent needs and value in any community - and, sadly and ironically, that even the unemployed perform a key economic role of keeping wage inflation down...

Moreover, I reckon that draconian trends in countries such as Australia, that systematically scapegoat the systemically disadvantaged, underprivileged (and especially the abused, abandoned, disabled and mentally ill) are unconscionably callous and inhumane...

Therefore, I would urge all welfare recipients to lodge protest votes against the draconian LibLabs - i.e. vote 1 Greens then preference the major party that they trust the least...

This protest will send a message to the LibLabs that they are trending too far towards the right on socio-economic matters - and, given the increasingly-uncertain outcome in the lower house, such a protest will be especially crucial in the Senate...

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« Last Edit: Aug 12^th, 2010 at 12:21pm by Equitist »

Lamenting the shift in the Australian psyche, away from the egalitarian ideal of the fair-go - and the rise of short-sighted pollies, who worship the 'Growth Fairy' and seek to divide and conquer!

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Sappho

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #10 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 2:40pm

Quote:

They must look for jobs, or if not they are indeed punished, by having their already ridiculously low benefits partly cut.

You have no idea what you are talking about. Penalties that partially cut your payments were removed ages ago.

Now days, if you fail to attend your appointments twice in a row, Centrelink will stop paying you until you do attend. For more serious non compliance such as refusing a suitable job or leaving a job voluntarily without another job to move to, Centrelink will not pay you for 8 weeks. All penalties are investigated most thoroughly and must be justified. All penalties have a right of appeal.

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"Love is a cunning weaver of fantasies and fables."

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imcrookonit Ex Member	Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In Reply #11 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 2:58pm Well there you go, so in other words there are a lot of hoops that the unemployed must jump through. In any case we know that the pensioners got a fair rise. We also know that the low income workers got a fair rise. Its high time the unemployed had a fair increase as well.
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Sappho

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #12 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 5:31pm

Quote:

Well there you go, so in other words there are a lot of hoops that the unemployed must jump through.

Hoops? You think that attending appointments with your job services provider is a hoop? You think that accepting a suitable job offer, although it may not be the job you want is a hoop? You think that leaving a job without good cause and then not being paid for 8 weeks is a hoop? You think that centrelink investigating these non compliance issues to ensure the law is fairly applied a hoop?

Where is your brain at?

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"Love is a cunning weaver of fantasies and fables."

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Equitist

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #13 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 5:35pm

Sappho wrote on Aug 12^th, 2010 at 5:31pm:

Quote:

Well there you go, so in other words there are a lot of hoops that the unemployed must jump through.

Hoops? You think that attending appointments with your job services provider is a hoop? You think that accepting a suitable job offer, although it may not be the job you want is a hoop? You think that leaving a job without good cause and then not being paid for 8 weeks is a hoop? You think that centrelink investigating these non compliance issues to ensure the law is fairly applied a hoop?

Where is your brain at?

Sadly and ironically, if there were sufficient REAL jobs out there, then simple supply/demand factors would precipitate rapid rises in wages and conversions from casual/part-time to full-time employment - and all of this tokenistic and demeaning hoop-jumping would be redundant...

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Lamenting the shift in the Australian psyche, away from the egalitarian ideal of the fair-go - and the rise of short-sighted pollies, who worship the 'Growth Fairy' and seek to divide and conquer!

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imcrookonit

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Re: Unemployed Should Put A Protest Vote In
Reply #14 - Aug 12^th, 2010 at 6:27pm

I think that being told that we have low unemployment, when in fact there is no such thing is wrong. I think being told there are lots of jobs out there, when there is not is wrong. I think that the unemployed should be given more money, instead of living on the smell of an oily rag is wrong, until they find a job. No one knows how long they will be unemployed. Sometimes it can be for a short period of time, other times it can be for very long periods of time. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying it should be made easy for the unemployed, but at least we have to be fair about it.

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