Active Employment Strategy
Magenta Deluxe writes (No. 14) to question Peter Chiltern's assessment of the Active Employment Strategy (No.11) and defend the "spirit" behind the AES in providing training to unemployed people.
Were this indeed the content in total of the AES it might be worth defending, but M.D. seems to have overlooked a rather crucial factor in how the strategy functions — ie: the factor of compulsion.
Under threat of denial of income, "clients" of the CES may be compelled to provide personal information, enter into contracts for and display "correct attitudes" towards programmes devised by CES officers and enter into training courses with no guarantee of constructive effect; this at a time when unemployed people far outnumber vacancies and only 6% of people who do find work do so through the CES in any case (Aust. Bureau of Statistics 89-90).
What I would like to see discussed more is why the AES is being pushed through at this time and whether (just maybe!) it might bear some relationship to moves toward a deregulated labour market. It seems to me there might be a strong relationship between (1) how low a wage employers can "negotiate" with employees and (2) the degree of harassment and insecurity in store for those who lose their job.
You could also throw into the equation the relationship between a low grade social security system and a high crime rate (the U.S. an outstanding example) or consider how much a thriving black economy could contribute to the nation if we had a consumption tax. You might also want to think about turning overflowing jails into factories ...
Hmm, but then I wouldn't want to be known as a conspiracy theorist ...
David Nerlich
Sydney
Church in Poland
The Catholic church in Poland is showing its true colours by applying its own brand of oppression. Having survived political dictatorships, the terrible consequences of a de facto theocracy must be met head on by the more enlightened elements in Polish society.
Michael Rose-Schwab, Rapid Creek NT
Natural death legislation
The N.S.W. Department of Health is holding a forum at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre on June 15 on the "natural Death legislative Proposals".
This subject is of great interest to the general community but they are being denied attendance as it is by invitation only. Even the select number of community groups involved can only have one person present.
This is despite an article in the Canberra Times 18.4.91 when Peter Collins stated that all interested parties would be invited. Has he decided that the general community have no interest in this matter?
The panel is comprised entirely of professionals, with no es except for a Roman Catholic priest.
The Medical Consumers Association calls for the forum to be widely advertised and the attendance of all interested members of the community encouraged.
Barbara Wright
President, Medical Consumers Association of NSW
Marrickville