ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Times have seldom been tougher and giving out money that’ll be immediately spent is not in the best interest of the economy. That’s the message to JobSeeker and other welfare benefit recipents from the government this week.
“The more you give these people, the more they’ll spend,” said Treasurer Jimothy Chalmers to The Advocate this morning.
“You know, it’s not like people on JobSeeker are taking what the taxpayer gives them and puts it into a diverse and sensible portfolio of ETFs and blue chip stocks. They’re spending every cent of it. Spending fuels inflation. We need to curb spending so unfortunantly, if people on JobSeeker need more money to make ends meet, they may have to do the unthinkable.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was more blunt in his assessment of the situation yesterday evening when he joined this masthead for dinner at the Mawson Club in Canberra’s cosmopolitan Woden Valley.
“My message to people on JobSeeker is please just get a f**king job like everyone else,” said the PM
“Contribute to society by paying personal income tax and spending your money at small businesses in your area. How fucking hard is it? If you can’t work, get a doctor’s note and get on the f**king NDIS. Otherwise, I mean, get up and go to work like everyone else. I hate to sound like a Liberal Prime Minister but we’re in the shit at the moment and the only thing that’s gonna get us out in spending with discretion and good old fashioned hard work,”
“Don’t have a sook, just get a pair of runners and wake up to yourself. The economy isn’t good enough for this airy fairy bullshit.”
The Advocate spoke to local JobKeeper recipient Darcy Overell, the 23-year-old middle son of the editor of this masthead, Clancy. Darcy told our reporter that he was disappointed but not surprised to be left behind again.
Despite voting for Albo at the previous election, Darcy said he’s now keen to see the country operate under a three-party system.
“Albo doesn’t get it,” he said.
“JobSeeker needs to be a doubled so people can have a bit of dignity as they try to get back on their feet. Being on JobSeeker is shit. Nobody wants to be on it but they get stuck on it because they can’t afford to do anything else except eat plain rice and pay bills. If you give people the means to get their life back on track, you help them get off JobSeeker,”
“It’s silly, when you think about it.”
More to come.
