Contraception and the ‘underclass’ debate: from Keith Joseph to Gary Johns
When The Australian published Gary Johns' opinion piece 'No contraception, no dole' nobody should have been surprised by what happened next. On 7's Sunrise program...
Bankers reject Forrest’s cashless welfare proposal
In a submission to the Forrest Review of Indigenous jobs and training, the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA) rejects Andrew Forrest's Healthy Welfare Card proposal. The...
The root of all evil? – ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus argues that getting rid of cash will reduce crime
It may be devoted to 70's nostalgia, but Björn Ulvaeus sees Stockholm's ABBA The Museum as a harbinger of the future. The museum doesn't accept...
Libertarians and the privatisation of income management
Employers are prevented by law from subjecting workers to income management. What if they weren't? Libertarians favour freedom of contract. They believe the government's role...
Is the struggle for equality of opportunity over?
Equality of opportunity was one of the big themes of Gough Whitlam's 1969 and 1972 campaigns. His 1972 policy speech promised "a new drive for...
Humiliation and the dole: a forgotten debate
A decent society is one whose institutions do not humiliate people - Avishai Margalit The Great Depression stripped many Australian workers of their dignity. For...
‘Learn or earn’ is the politicians’ equivalent of Stairway to Heaven
According to the Australian, the Abbott government's first budget will include tough new "learn or earn" Measures designed to force young people off the dole...