Health care cards and concession fares around the nation

[ozbob]

The Guardian --> Wait for the dole for 113,000 under-30s will have 'deeply disturbing' effect

[newbris]

This is an atrocity. He has no idea what it's like to be a young person these days

indeed
giving no people the dole for 6 months for 25-30 is pretty harsh. (oh and then the 6 months on 6 months off thing to boot)
definitely wont be something to look forward to when a person approaches 25 in an unstable job market...

lets assume a single person working at bigW/bunnings/coles/kmart/woolies.maccas/subway etc..

Assume Current living weekly expenses of 250 dollars <<< this is for rent,food,transport,insurance etc
Means now these people in employment will not only have to keep on top of thier weekly/daily expenses but will also have to keep thier savings account in the green at all times to the tune of 6500 dollars to last the 6 months should they lose that job.  Uhm part time employment? How are they supposed to achieve this?

For the people who fail to achieve the above scenario....they will have no use but to turn to family for assistance...assuming the same family isnt struggling for finances as well....
Eagerly awaiting the homeless shelter provider responses over all of this....if they actually speak up at all...

Re the bit I put in bold....I don't think this is widely understood.

It seems if you survive the 6 months no pay you would, if at all possible, attempt financial recovery during the subsequent 6 month paid dole period where you work for the dole for 25 hours per week.

If after that you still haven't managed to secure a job it would all be down the drain again as the whole cycle resets and you have to start again with 6 months no pay... 

I think many assume there is only one period where you get paid nothing at all. They don't realise it is 6 months no pay, 6 months paid, 6 month no pay, 6 months paid....

[James]

I'm not totally against the 6 months thing, but I think it is a very bad idea to start with 6 months off. This does not encourage people to go out and find a job, this only causes community angst amongst the unemployed, and as mentioned, will kill any desire for people to consume.

Having 6 months on, 6 months off, 6 months on etc. is a far better way of dealing with things. This gets the 'bludgers' off the system, yet still maintains an adequate safety net. Most people should be able to get some kind of job in the 6 months (even if it is a menial job at McDonalds). The '40 jobs a month' thing is also crap. Quality, not quantity. A target like applying for 4-5 jobs/month would be reasonable, but 40 is just ridiculous.

I'm all for trying to minimise the amount of people just living off government handouts, but there are smart ways to deal with this and there are dumb ways, and I have to say some of the ways being suggested are rather dumb.

[newbris]

I'm not totally against the 6 months thing, but I think it is a very bad idea to start with 6 months off. This does not encourage people to go out and find a job, this only causes community angst amongst the unemployed, and as mentioned, will kill any desire for people to consume.

Having 6 months on, 6 months off, 6 months on etc. is a far better way of dealing with things. This gets the 'bludgers' off the system, yet still maintains an adequate safety net. Most people should be able to get some kind of job in the 6 months (even if it is a menial job at McDonalds). The '40 jobs a month' thing is also cr%p. Quality, not quantity. A target like applying for 4-5 jobs/month would be reasonable, but 40 is just ridiculous.

I'm all for trying to minimise the amount of people just living off government handouts, but there are smart ways to deal with this and there are dumb ways, and I have to say some of the ways being suggested are rather dumb.

I wonder about that. I keep seeing stats like 800,000 not working doesn't fit into 130,000 available jobs (top of my head...no time to look up these figures).

[STB]

I'm not totally against the 6 months thing, but I think it is a very bad idea to start with 6 months off. This does not encourage people to go out and find a job, this only causes community angst amongst the unemployed, and as mentioned, will kill any desire for people to consume.

Having 6 months on, 6 months off, 6 months on etc. is a far better way of dealing with things. This gets the 'bludgers' off the system, yet still maintains an adequate safety net. Most people should be able to get some kind of job in the 6 months (even if it is a menial job at McDonalds). The '40 jobs a month' thing is also cr%p. Quality, not quantity. A target like applying for 4-5 jobs/month would be reasonable, but 40 is just ridiculous.

I'm all for trying to minimise the amount of people just living off government handouts, but there are smart ways to deal with this and there are dumb ways, and I have to say some of the ways being suggested are rather dumb.

James, there is simply not enough jobs in Australia to meet each and every single person who is unemployed, let alone who will is trained in their respective areas.  I've been looking hard for work since December last year and only got 1 job response for job testing/interview the other day, which sadly despite trying to make it, I missed it, due to heavy fog closing Sydney Airport down and making me miss that testing time (it took 4.5hrs to fly from Brisbane to Sydney - included 30mins flying north of Sydney waiting to get clearance to land, then diverting to Coffs Harbour where we waited for an hour and a bit to refuel and to get clearance to take off and land in Sydney - and no I am not allowed to resit it at a later date, if I didn't make it, even though it was an 'Act of God' I'm automatically off the list of applicants, and yes I did ask), thankfully I did have a conference that I was also going to in between that now missed job opportunity and ended up meeting some very important people who now want me to help them out with some very important projects here in Qld, so it was a blessing in disguise I guess.

So, I'm now back at square one again, trying to get work as hundreds of thousands of others are trying at the same time.

I also strongly disagree with cutting people off after six months, all it will do is push up crime levels, increase mental health issues and cause homelessness.  There will always be a small minority of "bludgers", even if you cut their funds off as Abbott is planning on doing to EVERY single unemployed person, the "bludgers" will find other ways to avoid work even without the Government assisting them with Newstart, in the meantime, us genuine jobseekers continue on to find work, despite living under the poverty line.

To really know what it's like to be unemployed, you have to live it, and I live with it everyday, and am desperately trying to get off it.

And by the way, there are Economists who do say that it is actually unhealthy for a country to have 100% employment, from what I've read it can cause issues with inflation etc, from what I've read, they've said that 5% unemployment is considered normal and healthy for a country.

[techblitz]

@stb
A lot of unemployed would relate..
Its a right royal mess atm
A lot of companies are taking the axe to the bottom line so they can stay viable.....eg: outsourcing happy hour

One in todays courier mail
http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/caltex-to-cut-brisbane-oil-refinery-jobs-at-lytton/story-fnihsps3-1227021000976

one only has to go out to hemmant and see how many factories have shut up shop or moved elsewhere or to coopers plains/archerfield and see all the "for lease signs" around.
There is a machinery auction yard just across the rd from archerfield airport which was struggling for stock 12-15 months ago (near empty).......now the yard is absolutely chockas...

Jobs is what will decide the next QLD election and campbell doesnt have any improvements to show on that front...ultimately with lack of jobs and increasing competition for those jobs..... the only answer for a lot of people will be to start thier own business if they want any sort of income and avoid "work for the dole".....they need to choose wisely though because people are cutting back spending......and keeping it only for the basics......

[STB]

Jobs is what will decide the next QLD election and campbell doesnt have any improvements to show on that front...ultimately with lack of jobs and increasing competition for those jobs..... the only answer for a lot of people will be to start thier own business if they want any sort of income and avoid "word for the dole".....they need to choose wisely though because people are cutting back spending......and keeping it only for the basics......

It's true though that even if you are a business owner, with an unhealthy job market as it is currently and a slowing economy, it'll just put more pressure and make it more difficult to run a business in the first place.  I know with myself, I've got a business registered, though it won't be ready until next year due to a bunch of things I need to do prior to launching it.

Punishing the unemployed isn't going to do anything at all.  The unemployed come in all forms, from the highly educated through to those who have had a rough life growing up and need further education to improve their lives.  I'm happy to accept that there will always be a minority of "bludgers" as James points out, simply because if we can focus more on those who are willing to work and further educate themselves without penalty, then that's what really matters and can help the country far more than importing workers from overseas, taking off pay from the unemployed, and actually taxing high wealth areas to feedback into those who actually need the money so they can move up the ladder and help give back to the country and the people who live in it as well.

My advice to James and others who think that penalizing people works better, is simply that if you treat people as people and help them back up when they are down, the wealth from that will come afterwards.

[ozbob]

Letter to the editor Queensland Times 16th August 2014 page 51

Go-card system a rip-off

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland 'worst' for youth unemployment

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

19th August 2014

Re: Queensland: Unemployed need concession public transport

Greetings,

Shocking figures ...

Brisbanetimes -->   Queensland 'worst' for youth unemployment

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-worst-for-youth-unemployment-20140818-105k2c.html

In SEQ particularly, the high cost fare structure and no concessions for the unemployed means that many are simply forced to fare evade.

This is not a good outcome for our community.  All the 'tough talk' will not change reality.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

8th August 2014

Greetings,

Queensland now leads the Nation in having the worst unemployment rate:

Queensland unemployment rises to 11-year high
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-unemployment-rises-to-11year-high-20140807-101e52.html

How much more devastating this is in south-east Queensland. With one of the most expensive fare systems in the world, let alone Australia, Queensland alone denies concession fares on public transport to the unemployed.

Every other public transport jurisdiction in Australia, with much more affordable fares than south-east Queensland, extends concession fares to the unemployed.

It is time the State Government extended concession fares to the unemployed in Queensland.  A failure to do this is just making it even harder for the unemployed to obtain a job and survive.

Many are simply being forced to fare evade.  A most unsatisfactory outcome for us all.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

27th July 2014

Queensland:  Unemployed need concession public transport

Greetings,

Abbott Government to make most jobseekers participate in work for the dole programs from 2015

> http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/abbott-government-to-make-most-jobseekers-participate-in-work-for-the-dole-programs-from-2015/story-fnihsrf2-1227002703245

This will be great for the unemployed, how will they participate?  Queensland is the only state or territory that does NOT extend concession public transport fares to the unemployed.

In south-east Queensland fares are very expensive.  Fare evasion and 'struggle street'?

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Media release 12th July 2014

Queensland:  Unemployed need concession public transport

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has again called for concession fares to be made available to the unemployed in Queensland.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Queensland is the only state in Australia that does not extend concession fares on public transport to the unemployed (1)."

"For south-east Queensland this is a vicious double whammy for these disadvantaged citizens.  Fares in south-east Queensland are amongst the worlds most expensive, particularly paper tickets. How are the unemployed expected to be able to attend job interviews, get out and look for jobs if they are unable to access public transport?"

"Fare evasion is already a major problem on the public transport network in south-east Queensland (2). Minister Emerson said  on Fairfax Radio News that the state cannot afford to give concession fares to the unemployed. The real question is can the State not afford to give concession fares to the unemployed?"

"Hundreds of millions of toll road dollars are being lost because of blunders by TMR (3). If unemployed had concession fares and a go card, they might actually be able to pay a fare.  This will actually help improve the fare box, rather than just lose revenue via fare evasion."

"Transport in Queensland is a major concern.  It might be time for an inquiry into the governance of transport, it is a failure on so many levels."

"South-east Queensland fare failure (4), bus review failure (5), now toll road fee collection failure! To these failures we can now add Tertiary Transport Concession Card failure! (6).

"This is gross incompetence, and needs to be sorted before more costly damage is done."

"The LNP seem to not understand. A failure to sort the obvious issues such as the failing fare system is what is causing much public disenchantment and loss of support."


References:

1. Health care cards and concession fares around the nation http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9124.msg143040#msg143040

2. SEQ: Fare evasion crisis on public transport in SEQ http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10749.0

3. Queensland Opposition Leader attacks tollway revenue bleed http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-opposition-leader-attacks-tollway-revenue-bleed-20140614-zs848.html

4. Queensland: High Cost Public Transport Set To Destroy Needy and Vulnerable http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10720.0

5. BCC Bus Cost Explosion Engulfs Community http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10458.0

6. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10520.msg144064#msg144064

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor North West News 10th September 2014 page 9

Jobless need transport

QUEENSLAND leads the nation in having the worst unemployment rate. How much more devastating this is in southeast Queensland. With one of the most expensive fare systems in the world, let alone Australia, Queensland alone denies concession fares on public transport to the unemployed.

Every other public transport jurisdiction in Australia, with much more affordable fares than southeast Queensland, extends concession fares to the unemployed.

It is time the Sate Government extended concession fares to the unemployed in Queensland.

ROBERT DOW
Rail Back On Track

[ozbob]

Media release 21st September 2014

Queensland:  ALP support concession public transport fares for unemployed

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has often called for concession fares to be made available to the unemployed in Queensland. Queensland ALP now have extending concession fares to the unemployed as part of their policy platform.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Queensland is the only state or territory in Australia that does not extend concession fares on public transport to the unemployed (1)."

"For south-east Queensland this is a vicious double whammy for these disadvantaged citizens.  Fares in south-east Queensland are amongst the worlds most expensive, particularly paper tickets. How are the unemployed expected to be able to attend job interviews, get out and look for jobs if they are unable to access public transport?"

"Fare box wasted on go card rorts by the cashed up 'suits' could easily be redirected to providing concessions for the unemployed.  It just takes a bit of wisdom and political courage to fix the failed fare structure in SEQ (2)."

"We welcome the committment by Queensland Labor ' ... will maintain public transport concessions and extend them to recipients of the Newstart allowance ' (3)."

"Thank you!"

References:

1. Health care cards and concession fares around the nation http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9124.msg143040#msg143040

2. Do you support daily/weekly capping on go card (or equivalent) ?
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10957.0

3. http://www.queenslandlabor.org/wp-content/uploads/2014QldPolicyPlatform_web.pdf 7.60

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

18th November 2014

Queensland:  ALP support concession public transport fares for unemployed

Greetings,

Queensland distinguishes itself as the only state that does not offer concession fare on public transport to the unemployed.  For SEQ this is a very serious issue as fares on the TransLink SEQ network are amongst the expensive in the world. Other Australian jurisdictions with much more affordable fares also give the unemployed concession fares. This helps in their job seeking and social mobility.

This morning the Ipswich Queensland Time is reporting that the unemployment rate in some suburbs is up to 23%.  This devastating of course.  Little wonder that serial fare evasion is a chronic problem in SEQ.

Forcing the unemployed off public transport just compounds the problems, social, economic and moral.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org



Media release 21st September 2014 re-released 18th November 2014

Queensland:  ALP support concession public transport fares for unemployed

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has often called for concession fares to be made available to the unemployed in Queensland. Queensland ALP now have extending concession fares to the unemployed as part of their policy platform.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Queensland is the only state or territory in Australia that does not extend concession fares on public transport to the unemployed (1)."

"For south-east Queensland this is a vicious double whammy for these disadvantaged citizens.  Fares in south-east Queensland are amongst the worlds most expensive, particularly paper tickets. How are the unemployed expected to be able to attend job interviews, get out and look for jobs if they are unable to access public transport?"

"Fare box wasted on go card rorts by the cashed up 'suits' could easily be redirected to providing concessions for the unemployed.  It just takes a bit of wisdom and political courage to fix the failed fare structure in SEQ (2)."

"We welcome the committment by Queensland Labor ' ... will maintain public transport concessions and extend them to recipients of the Newstart allowance ' (3)."

"Thank you!"

References:

1. Health care cards and concession fares around the nation http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9124.msg143040#msg143040

2. Do you support daily/weekly capping on go card (or equivalent) ?
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10957.0

3. http://www.queenslandlabor.org/wp-content/uploads/2014QldPolicyPlatform_web.pdf 7.60

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Jobless on the rise in Ipswich

Desperate people in Ipswich are door knocking factories to get a job, and may soon be standing on a street corner, which is what Graham Smyth did earlier this year.

IPSWICH residents are door knocking factories for jobs as unemployment figures rise to an alarming level.

The Federal Government's Department of Employment figures for the suburbs show that unemployment in Riverview has hit 23% in the June quarter of 2014, up from 18.3% a year earlier.

State Government cuts to both the public service and job creation programs have been blamed for the rise that has seen the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) unemployment rate in the Ipswich statistical boundary hit 9.29% at the end of the June quarter.

The state average is 6.3%.

Year on year, the unemployment rates in Goodna went from 13% to 16.7%.

In Leichardt/One Mile they rose from 13.2% to 17.6% and in Bundamba the rise was from 10.4% to 13.9%.

The ABS now includes Inala, with an unemployment rate of 22.8%, within the Ipswich boundaries.

Cr Paul Tully said the statistics for Ipswich as a whole "are now very misleading".

"An adverse spike in Inala can affect what we are calling the Ipswich figures, when they could have easily continued the whole of Ipswich figures rather than put in parts of the city of Brisbane," he said.

Even under the old boundaries the unemployment figures went from 5.49% at the end of the March quarter in 2013 to 6.32% at year's end.

Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller said "the Riverview , Dinmore, Gailes and Goodna areas have high unemployment levels and every day I have people coming in to my electorate office asking if we know where there are jobs".

"A lot of people have been door knocking for jobs in the factories around Carole Park and Sumner Park but there are very few jobs available," she said.

Cr Victor Attwood, who represents Riverview, said Federal and State government actions had "exacerbated problems like unemployment in areas of low socio-economic growth".

Cr Attwood said the reduction in programs to skill unemployed people for work had a "huge impact" in not only putting people out of work but also in not allowing them to be upskilled and find employment.

The State Government cut the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program.

"They also cut back tenancy advocacy services and my understanding is that out of the 14,000 to 20,000 public servants that got sacked when Campbell Newman got into power, over 3000 of them lived in Ipswich," Cr Attwood said.

"That has a multiplier effect in the community where people stop spending money while they are looking for new jobs.

"The Federal Government has cut funding for Indigenous employment programs that the Salvation Army used to run.

"The support those programs provided people to get retrained to get new jobs goes, and people get trapped in a cycle of trying to find a job and not being able to upgrade their skills, because you have to pay to do any kind of course these days and budgets are tight."

Ms Miller said the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program was "a program where people who were unemployed would get trained in positions where there were vacancies"

"It was very successful in the areas of aged care where there was a shortage of positions".

Ms Miller said the unemployment figures for Ipswich were "clearly scandalous" and laid the blame firmly at the feet of the LNP State Government.

"The LNP hasn't lifted a finger to save jobs or create them," she said.

"They have already cut 24,000 jobs out of the public sector and they are spending money on ads on asset sales which should be going into job creation programs.

"I understand that people with really good skills in the public service rarely interview for jobs in the private and community sector."

IPSWICH UNEMPLOYMENT:

Riverview - 23%

Leichhardt/One Mile 17.6%

Goodna - 16.7%

Bundamba - 13.9%

North Ipswich/Tivoli - 13.6%

Ipswich (overall) - 9.29%

Queensland - 6.3%

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

Concessions for unemployed for PT in QLD ... at last > http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10966.0 ... #qldpol #auspol #springst #nswpol #sapol #wapol #taspol

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times published 13th February 2015 page 25

Group calls for reduced fares for jobless