" Managing " the Dole !

There are suggestions that the " Dole " and other forms of welfare payments be subjected to a " management " regime that stipulates how and where the money can be spent.  The most likely form is to quarantine a proportion of each payment onto a credit card which can only be used to buy food, clothing - pay rent - or other approved categories.   This would prevent public monies being wasted on alcohol, drugs, gambling or similar social vices.

It raises the question of to what extent it becomes desireable for the heavy hand of officialdom to intrude into the issue of how we run our lives.   What becomes the " cut off line " that divides society into those who " live free " - and those who are subjected to life in an " economic prison " ?

This same thinking has " public housing " under the microscope.   The present regime restricts rent to just twenty-five percent of a public tenant's income and this is expected to rise to market level as that income rises.   It was never intended as a " home for life ", but there are many in society who for various reasons will never be able to hold a permanent job or move from welfare dependency.    We either provide them with public housing - or they join the homeless sleeping rough on the streets as a permanent underclass.

We need to think and tread carefully when we consider social change.   Australia has been termed " the lucky country " and our standard of living is way above that of many of our neighbours.   The living standards of the poor in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Africa affront our eyes.   People scraping together plastic sheets, timber and scraps of cardboard to fashion a shelter - wherever they can find a space to live.

We see a better class of " slum " in places like Brazil   At least the " Favellas " are of a more permanent nature, but they are ruled by outlaw gangs rather than the authorities.   All forms of building codes and permits are totally ignored - but an unofficial system of " justice " prevails, and most seem to eat well and they are not dressed in rags.    It seems that this disorder is " tolerated " because those in power in that country - have no other choice.

We had a time when things were a little different here in Australia.  In the years just after the second world war many people scrimped and saved to buy a building block - and lived for years in a quickly erected garage or a caravan on that block.    That would not be tolerated today.   We live by more rigid rules and regulations.   In place of " do it yourself " home building we saddle ourselves with an almost unimaginable mortgage - for a home our grandparents would have considered a " palace ".

The Australian lifestyle is economically out of balance.   It costs more to run this country than we pay in taxes and that can not be ignored indefinitely.   We face a day of reckoning, and our spending will need to be reduced - and that will produce winners and losers.

We need to be careful and not turn our backs on those who will never attain the standards of the Australian way of life.   If the clock turns too far against them, sheer necessity will force them to turn to a way of life we will consider unpleasant.    We would not like to see the establishment of favellas in the boondocks of the outer reaches of Australian cities.

We would do well to remember that necessity breaks all the rules !