That rather Orwellian title hides a great deal of inhumanity. Take a scenario I heard yesterday. You have a serious chronic illness, and despite surviving things that would kill most people, you, because you really are a person who rejects “bludging”, have worked on in an area under state government control which deals with health issues not dissimilar to your own. You work hard, and achieve much of value. This in fact assists in your survival and prevents your being a drain on the public purse. But the time comes when the state government agency you work for deems the time has come for you to severely cut back, or stop working, as there are health and safety issues to be considered. So you go to the federal government’s Department of Human Services Centrelink, explain the situation, expecting some assistance as you are far from well and have not chosen to be unemployed.
So what does Centrelink do? They tell you you must go on unemployment benefits and “work for the dole” — mutual obligation, you see? This despite the fact that you went to Centrelink in the first place because you are not well enough to work.
Have you ever heard anything more Catch-22, more tight-arsed? Compassion has become a quaint, old-fashioned virtue, hasn’t it, in this brave new Howardite world. I think “it sucks” understates the case.
LATER
The person described in this was Lord Malcolm. The spirit in the Department is John Howard’s.
