... enjoyed the article and comments about the Dole.
http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2003/06/48326.php
Years ago (20?) a study showed - if the CES and (Orwellian sounding) Social Security administration was removed and physical assets cashed in - people could have been paid $30,000 per annum on the Dole.
Yes - it's a means of social control - not a genuine employment /training body.
Up here - Centrelink are a also a useful means of controlling (and punishing) political activists. I imagine that's the case elsewhere - it's just more visible here.
In reality - even if you're nearly braindead - you can a well-paying job if mummy and daddy are connected.
I see webbies doing work I could knock off in my sleep, being paid a fortune because of their connections.
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Harold Hark on Richard Alston
"Then again, he has yet to fulfil those duties, having bungled every undertaking bar none. One of his latest bungles is the expenditure of $4 million to the con artists who developed his department's website.<http://www.dcita.gov.au/Subject_Entry_Page/0,,0_1-2_1,00.html>
Yours truly is an entry-level web site designer and I could have done better than that after suffering a stroke!"
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Harold is great!
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~thesquiz/scatt.htm
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It is interesting to note that a plan to have the Dole office moved into the Darwin mall was knocked back because business people didn't want undesirables hanging around.
I do not support such vilifications against the Centrelink staff - not even the Redneck that has it in for me. They are doing an unpleasant job - in an unpleasant system.
Breaches - whereby you can lose up to $2000 for missing an interview - (even if you went to it) - piss struggling people off...
Arson puts welfare office out of action
By PAUL JACKSON
June 3, 2003
Centrelink has set up a minibus shuttle service to take customers to its Casuarina and Palmerston offices after a fire destroyed most of their ground floor city premises.
The fire, which caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage, was deliberately lit.
Police said that about 11pm on Sunday someone smashed a side entrance glass door at the Knuckey St office and piled up papers behind the reception desk and set them alight.
The fire alarm went off four minutes after the break-in alarm.
Police and fire brigade officers were on the scene quickly and surrounding streets were cordoned off while officers fought the blaze.
The premises suffered extensive smoke and water damage. Several computers, desks and photocopiers were destroyed in the blaze.
Centrelink North Australia manager Gordon Pitts said it would take weeks before the premises would be open again.
"In the meantime we have set up a small, temporary office at the Knuckey St office and have relocated 35 employees from the first floor to the TCG building in the city,'' he said yesterday.
"The other 15 ground floor employees have been sent to Casuarina and Palmerston.
"We hope to find another city premises today to operate.''
He said that on a Monday, Centrelink employees normally saw about 120 people.
Mr Pitts he did not know why anyone would want to set fire to Centrelink.
"We get the odd disgruntled customer from time to time and the worst thing that has happened is that a few windows have been broken,'' he said.
Police would like to talk to the occupant or occupants of a light-coloured blue or silver Magna seen in the area at the time of the fire.
They urged anyone who was in the area at the time and witnessed suspicious activity to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Northern Territory News
members.optusnet.com.au/~thesquiz/scatt.htm
