Mutual Obligation

It's somewhere between
the obscene and unclean
but John Howard is my inspiration.

You work for the dole.
You mortgage your soul,
and he calls that liberation.

Get off your fat arse,
do a job that's first class.
Yes, work is your obligation.

A hand-up it seems
is just far away dreams
leading to much consternation.

You have to say, "Nay,
I don't want any pay."
It's part of building the nation.

Fair pay will not last
it's a thing of the past,
what you need is incentivation.

It's somewhere between
the obscene and unclean
but John Howard is my inspiration.

If you're troubled or sore,
if you're crippled or poor
then you must show no hesitation.

You must do what is right,
you must work day and night
helping to build this fine nation.

Fair pay so it seems
is a thing of our dreams,
all you need is incentivation.

If you've got kids galore
and you're terribly poor
then work is your obligation.

It's somewhere between
the unclean and obscene
but John Howard is my inspiration.

BY JOHN TOMLINSON

From Green Left Weekly, December 10, 2003.

Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

From GLW issue 565