Newstart

[Bruce]

It's not much to live on especially  if you pay rent. How about allowing newstart people to earn more  money on the side without losing their pensions?

 

I would like to employ one or two for a few hours a week,  as long as this could be done without legal risk.

 

Surely this would be a win/win situation, where the newstart people could earn some more money and oldies like myself could have a bit of help. 

 

There should be many ways to stop this being abused, eg by sacking existing employees and rehiring them as newstart people . Mind you, our governments seem very poor at spotting opportunities to scam welfare. 

 

 

[facthunter]

 Then it wouldn't be as easy to vilify a section who don't vote for them. The "best form of welfare is a JOB" How bloody cynical is that when there's about 20 people per job advertised and THEY expect  you should be prepared to go to Bindiwallop to get it.  Sell your house and lose in taxes and agent's fees all you've earned in the last two years and move to a place were everyone is related to each other and the Village idiot will get the job ahead of you. (if you can get him out of the pub long enough to sober up.).  Nev

 

 

[Bruce]

Well I would like some help eg for gardening. Now looking up the cost of this, I see that $50 per hour is considered cheap for gardening labor, but its too much for me.

 

The Newstart is $7.50 an hour ( 300 divided by 40 hours) .

 

Why the big difference? I would be happy to pay $10 per hour but not $50.

 

BUT would you be required to take out thousands of dollars worth of insurance and spend big on training and safety gear? These costs would be deal-killers too.

 

 

[spacesailor]

"There should be many ways to stop this being abused, eg by sacking existing employees and rehiring them as newstart people . Mind you, our governments seem very poor at spotting opportunities to scam welfare. "

 

Even the Councils have done this scam, to get cheap labour.

 

Working for council laying pavers in the Wellington cave system, they were sacked for no reason, & when on the dole told to report to the job they were sacked from. Dole plus about $10 an hour from council.

 

What would you say to that deal, from the dole office.?

 

I put one up for the sake of him going to Blacktown Dole office, the other went to the Goldcoast.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Bruce]

There is a country ( I think it is Iceland ) which pays the dole to everybody. So all wages are lower, and yet you can live on the dole if you want to. I like the idea.

 

 

[spacesailor]

" which pays the dole to everybody. "

 

WHY.

 

Would you get the dole if working ?

 

My neighbor is now unemployed (WW closes stores).

 

BUT. As he never naturalised to be Australian, he gets Nothing.

 

Even tho he came with his parents as a child.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Bruce]

If everybody got the dole, there would be no need to police it and this would save millions. Also, those on the dole could choose to do some part-time work and not have to worry about losing their dole.

 

And employers would be able to pay their workers less, since they have the dole as a top-up.

 

I reckon its a better idea than spending 100 billion on useless submarines.

 

 

[Litespeed]

Never ever give employers a chance to reduce wages. That is not the right idea.

 

 

[Marty_d]

A "living wage" which is universal is not a new idea.  Don't think it's politically palatable though.  Imagine Alan Joyce on his $24 million also getting $40k from the government.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Where would the money come from? The government is funded by taxes, they take money from us, not the other way around. 

 

 

[facthunter]

 What the government "do" is funded by taxes and charges. Private enterprise isn't exactly covering itself with glory lately either and they do it for profit so that goes onto the price. The theory is "have" competition and they all compete like mad (Just like the oil companies, Ha ha, and that drives prices down. Most capitalists these days go for the best monopoly they can organise and remove small businesses from the scene, and establish FRANCHISES. which nearly kill the operator with rotten conditions.. All advertising goes onto the price so an article  if it's out there and loud everywhere, better hope they sell lots of the article or you are paying much too much for it. Everyone who touches any article "touches" you The landed cost of some imports is often less than 10% of what you pay for it. You are still paying full  "Quality price for some pretty ordinary stuff (JUNK). Hard to buy a bolt you could use in your plane and trust it to be reliable.

 

 

[octave]

Where would the money come from? The government is funded by taxes, they take money from us, not the other way around. 

 

Firstly I don't know enough about this to form an opinion but I understand there are places where this is up and running, Alaska, Finland etc. Not sure whether these systems work or not.  In terms of the tax take, most people  would still work and pay income tax. I think most universal income schemes are a pretty basic amount and I would imagine the majority would still rather earn enough to buy a house and travel etc.  Also  income tax is just one source of taxation, even people who only receive the aged pension ( a form of social wage in that you get it whether you have paid tax or not) are still tax payers by virtue of the fact that they pay gst and  sales tax etc.  As I say I am not too knowledgeable about this idea but I have seen it supported by serious economisits so I think it is fair to assume that the question of taxation is not just a whoops forgot to consider that scenario.

 

 

[Yenn]

Did you hear Alan Joyce going off about airports having a monopoly and gouging prices.

 

With 23.88 million being gouged off air fares just to pay him, I reckon he speaks with forked tongue.

 

Not being a Qantas shareholder I don't know offhand how much is paid out as bonuses to the other staff, but I bet it is not peanuts.

 

 

[spacesailor]

"  Also  income tax is just one source of taxation, even people who only receive the aged pension ( a form of social wage in that you get it whether you have paid tax or not) are still tax payers by virtue of the fact that they pay gst and  sales tax"

 

And this smart government give TAX breaks to likes of A Joyce, Knowing that the pensioners DONT pay income tax.

 

Then All the prices go UP again,

 

spacesailor