Stranger things have happened

I was listening to the radio yesterday and found myself agreeing with John Laws. I didn't hear the entire conversation, but from what I could gather, some woman rang up to whinge about having to repay some subsidy she was receiving as part of a drought relief package. She likened it to people on the dole having to repay their subsidies when they get a job. Laws thought that was a good idea, too.

So do I.

Why are farmers constantly singled out? In this age of 'user pays' and HECS fees, why do people on subsidised incomes get off scot free? Of course, there are those who would say that it would -to use a bureaucratism- provide a disincentive to get off the rock 'n roll, but all you need to do then is to provide a disincentive to stay on the bloody thing. Have a sliding scale of ever more onerous conditions which come into force as time passes. Make these conditions enforceable; meet them or get sacked. Anybody who has been on the dole for longer than about three months is a bit fussy about what job they'll take. Anybody still there after six months isn't trying very hard and after twelve months they are just ripping off the system. Personally, I don't mind that. I figure if you've got ten million people and nine million jobs, then either you're going to have a million people out of work, or its equivalent in under-employed part-timers; so you may as well have people who are happy to be that way. However, I'm willing to put aside my beliefs for the Greater Good. You could expand the work for the dole scheme at the risk of inflaming the left, but I'm more in favour of making traing both useful and compulsory. Have some intense counselling to find out what the individual wants and has an aptitude for and train them to do it.

If they refuse or otherwise try to avoid training, put them to work; labouring for the dole. If they refuse that, cut them off. Once they're in work, start recouping the debt. Make them stay employed for twelve months before become eligible for the dole again.

Anybody who still can't get a job can go on a pension, with a rider that, if at any stage in the future their financial situation changes (they get a job, win Lotto, their rich Uncle dies etc.) then they must pay back the debt. In full. First, before they even see the money.

Of course, all this applies to the tax breaks businesses in general receive, big businesses in general. All the sweeteners smelters, refineries etc. get to help with set up costs should be repayable, but it'll never happen. Big businesses are able to do what everybody else always say that they can do, but rarely work up the nerve to actually do; they can just say "no" and go somewhere else.