Auspol February 2017 - Choo choose your candidates wisely..

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol February 2017 - Choo choose your candidates wisely..

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Ora Tzo: Feb 26, 2016; HEEEERES TONYYYY

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-06/centrelink-set-to-strike-amid-debt-recovery-controversy/8243936

quote:

Centrelink staff to strike amid debt-recovery controversy

Centrelink workers tasked with enforcing the Government's controversial debt-recovery program will launch two weeks of rolling industrial action from February 13.

The ABC understands the strike action is expected to result in delays at Centrelink offices and call centres across Australia, but those working on robot-debt calls will be exempt.

The industrial action coincides with calls from the Greens and Labor to establish a Senate inquiry into the controversial scheme, which has incorrectly told thousands of Australians they need to repay money.

The automated program, which cross-references employment data from the Australian Tax Office and Centrelink, has been criticised by social services groups for placing profits above people.

The program has issued nearly 170,000 notices of potential overpayment since July when human oversight was reduced in a bid to save money.

Centrelink staff who join the industrial action will also provide welfare recipients with a written statement outlining their concerns about the program and the Government's bargaining position.

In some cases, welfare recipients have been forced to start repaying fortnight instalments to Centrelink despite continuing to contest their records.
CPSU raised concern about treatment of Centrelink workers

The strike action will be led by the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which has overseen years of industrial action across the public service amid a two-year deadlock on pay and conditions.

Similar strike action was launched by the union in December although customer payments were not impacted.

The Department of Human Services, which manages the Centrelink and Medicare programs, was informed of the strike action on Friday.

The CPSU and some federal politicians have raised concerns about the treatment of Centrelink workers since December, with the public becoming increasingly frustrated.

CPSU assistant national secretary Michael Tull said in January that public servants were facing a "perfect storm" and struggling to deal with public backlash.

Centrelink has also approached the market for "advanced customer aggression training" to deal with the public criticisms over the program.

The Government introduced changes to the debt-recovery system in January to ensure welfare recipients can launch an internal review of their payments before debt proceedings are launched.

The strikes be held on February 13, 15, 17, 20, 22 and 24.

The Department of Human Services has been contacted for comment.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 03:09

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# ? May 15, 2024 23:12

You Am I: May 20, 2001; Me @ your poasting

Recoome posted:

Channel 7 trying to capture the racist/bigoted idiot demographic, I see

Considering most people are moving away from free to air TV, Channel 7 needs to get into a niche somehow.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 03:10

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

https://twitter.com/vesselskirt/status/828394685907374080

# ? Feb 6, 2017 03:11

ewe2: Jul 1, 2009

hooman posted:

My view is that very few people really wants to smash the gays and women into the dirt, we like those people, we just don't like all our jobs vanishing and getting ripped off constantly by "free trade deals" that make everyone locally lose their jobs in order for big companies to make fatter profits and pay workers less.

Agreed, I just never hear from those people and all I see is misdirection the other way. Realistically, unless we get a government willing to invest here to balance out the cash/automation/corporate drain, we will continue to be hosed. Right now I can't see anything seriously moving unless the house bubble bursts or half the middle class get their jobs automated away.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 03:20

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

hooman posted:

My view is that very few people really wants to smash the gays and women into the dirt, we like those people, we just don't like all our jobs vanishing and getting ripped off constantly by "free trade deals" that make everyone locally lose their jobs in order for big companies to make fatter profits and pay workers less.

I met a few dyed in the wool trump supporters through work and that was all they were talking about, jobs and corporations. Not women and gays and abortions.

Blaming free trade and globalism for not being able to get a good job is just a slightly more abstracted version of blaming the immigrants for stealing your job.

It's not the rise of globalism, but the decline of socialism and government investment in the population that has put people in that situation. I hope this unholy alliance of left and right around protectionism dies out quickly.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 03:21

Cartoon: Jun 20, 2008; poop

Recoome posted:

Channel 7 trying to capture the racist/bigoted idiot demographic, I see

Well the majority of the Australians who watch TV would seem to be a demographic worth capturing.

Also popularist is a new word for Fascist. The similarities are manifold.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 03:54

ZombyDog: Jul 11, 2001; Ere to fix yer gubbinz

Channel 7 kept Pauline in the public focus when they had her on Dancing with the Stars, so maybe there's an undisclosed exclusive sweet deal, publicity arrangement, raunchy photos, an exec who's a little sweet on her, or some one has decided that it's the only way that Channel 7 can stay relevant.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:10

I would blow Dane Cook: Dec 26, 2008

"Hello is this the Fashion Police?, I would like to report a crime"

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:21

WhiskeyWhiskers: Oct 14, 2013; "هذا ليس عادلاً."
"هذا ليس عادلاً على الإطلاق."
"كان هناك وقت الآن."
(السياق الخفي: للقراءة)

open24hours posted:

Blaming free trade and globalism for not being able to get a good job is just a slightly more abstracted version of blaming the immigrants for stealing your job.

Actually it's not.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:21

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

What's the difference?

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:29

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

open24hours posted:

What's the difference?

Globalism and free trade deals mean that the immigrants don't come here and take your job, corporations take your job and off-shore it so they can pay some poor sucker far less than Aussie minimum wage

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:39

BBJoey: Oct 31, 2012

the solution is world revolution not protectionism tho

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:44

WhiskeyWhiskers: Oct 14, 2013; "هذا ليس عادلاً."
"هذا ليس عادلاً على الإطلاق."
"كان هناك وقت الآن."
(السياق الخفي: للقراءة)

BBJoey posted:

the solution is world revolution not protectionism tho

Absolutely.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:44

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

MysticalMachineGun posted:

Globalism and free trade deals mean that the immigrants don't come here and take your job, corporations take your job and off-shore it so they can pay some poor sucker far less than Aussie minimum wage

Offshoring is essentially the same thing as importing, but you're importing labour instead of goods. All protectionism does is protect the rent seeking factory owner/employer from competition and make goods more expensive for the consumer.

People who lose their jobs should be supported by a well resourced welfare system so they can find something else to do. It's the withdrawal of that support, not free trade, that makes life miserable.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:50

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

open24hours posted:

People who lose their jobs should be supported by a well resourced welfare system so they can find something else to do. It's the withdrawal of that support, not free trade, that makes life miserable.

Absolutely

# ? Feb 6, 2017 04:53

Les Affaires: Nov 15, 2004

open24hours posted:

Offshoring is essentially the same thing as importing, but you're importing labour instead of goods. All protectionism does is protect the rent seeking factory owner/employer from competition and make goods more expensive for the consumer.

People who lose their jobs should be supported by a well resourced welfare system so they can find something else to do. It's the withdrawal of that support, not free trade, that makes life miserable.

Mmm. The complexity of "find something else to do" is what is hurting more these days than it used to, because the viability of industries that used to rely on a high degree of localisation is no longer there. People know that "in the past" you could rely on your local area needing a basic level of human staffing, whereas now because of IT and automation a lot of that can be done remotely with far less people.

The supports have been removed or weakened, and the steps required to get back to work are much higher and longer (move, train, skill up, get healthy, etc)

# ? Feb 6, 2017 05:05

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

Which really highlights the importance of investing in skills that enable people to move around as necessary. Shame all we get is grade one phonics tests.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 05:07

Les Affaires: Nov 15, 2004

open24hours posted:

Which really highlights the importance of investing in skills that enable people to move around as necessary. Shame all we get is grade one phonics tests.

But even then, in the minds of many they shouldn't need to move around just to find employment. Having to skill up is one thing, forcing your family to relocate just to survive is another, and getting more necessary over time. That pisses people off when they try to put down roots.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 05:09

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

Les Affaires posted:

But even then, in the minds of many they shouldn't need to move around just to find employment. Having to skill up is one thing, forcing your family to relocate just to survive is another, and getting more necessary over time. That pisses people off when they try to put down roots.

When I said move around I meant moving between industries, but I take your point. I'm not sure what can be done other than making the move as painless as possible. As society's demands change some places will become more viable and others less so. I'm not sure there's a way around that, or if there was that it would be a good idea to implement it.

open24hours fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Feb 6, 2017

# ? Feb 6, 2017 05:19

Les Affaires: Nov 15, 2004

open24hours posted:

When I said move around I meant moving between industries, but I take your point. I'm not sure what can be done other than making the move as painless as possible. As society's demands change some places will become more viable and others less so. I'm note sure there's a way around that, or if there was that it would be a good idea to implement it.

Its a shame but the NBN would have gone a long way to solve it, mostly by making industries that rely on human labour but not physical presence able to move to wherever in Australia is cheapest. Tasmania has a substantial amount of public department work in part because it is ~~worthless~~ cheaper than other places to pay workers there a wage that pays over and above the cost of living, and as a bonus is a form of regional subsidy. Other towns in Australia having decent access to internet would be able to make a decent shot at competing for work like this.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 05:25

hooman: Oct 11, 2007; This guy seems legit.; Fun Shoe

Les Affaires posted:

Its a shame but the NBN would have gone a long way to solve it, mostly by making industries that rely on human labour but not physical presence able to move to wherever in Australia is cheapest. Tasmania has a substantial amount of public department work in part because it is ~~worthless~~ cheaper than other places to pay workers there a wage that pays over and above the cost of living, and as a bonus is a form of regional subsidy. Other towns in Australia having decent access to internet would be able to make a decent shot at competing for work like this.

What stops this from moving overseas?

# ? Feb 6, 2017 05:39

Les Affaires: Nov 15, 2004

hooman posted:

What stops this from moving overseas?

Depends on the industry, and the type of labour. If its just information processing, then nothing (think purely online delivery of a service). If its involving something that requires actual physical logistics (manufacturing or agriculture) then its a little moe resistant to pure offshoring. Just the same, if it requires local knowledge or a local accent (call centres anybody?) then all the same.

The US had the same problem ever since the late seventies. They used to have a system of laws that flattened out many of the factors of production so that it made business as cheap or expensive in Wyoming as it did in New York or San Fransisco. Usually they revolved around grants or restrictive trade practises on things like the banks (local branches, restrictions on consolidation) and transport infrastructure (railways and air freight costs equal no matter where it was going)

These got rolled back over the last forty years and look what happened, the economic opportunity shifted to areas of mass concentration, at the expense of regional areas.

Hence Trump (who doesn't understand either this problem or any of the viable solutions). Same with Bernardi, I guess.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 05:51

starkebn: May 18, 2004; "Oooh, got a little too serious. You okay there, little buddy?"

A lady working for the UN, involved in writing the development plan for SEQ, I was listening to the other day was talking off handedly about how 30 years ago 25% of the workers were employed by the government, and now it's about 7%. Apart from all the poo poo they would have been doing all I could think about was "there's your welfare system".

The current governments all seem to think smaller and smaller government is best but I don't think I agree. If someone needs work the government should have a job that needs to be done. And not in the slave labour wftd sense either.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 05:55

SMILLENNIALSMILLEN: Jun 26, 2009

ZombyDog posted:

Channel 7 kept Pauline in the public focus when they had her on Dancing with the Stars, so maybe there's an undisclosed exclusive sweet deal, publicity arrangement, raunchy photos, an exec who's a little sweet on her, or some one has decided that it's the only way that Channel 7 can stay relevant.

Channel 7 has been doing this for years. Shows like sunrise, border patrol and home&away are used as agenda setting devices that frame the limits of acceptable discourse.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 06:23

BBJoey: Oct 31, 2012

but you see only private industry can make jobs, i have only read one book in my life and it was ayn rand

# ? Feb 6, 2017 06:29

Anidav: Feb 25, 2010; ahhh fuck its the rats again

open24hours posted:

Offshoring is essentially the same thing as importing, but you're importing labour instead of goods. All protectionism does is protect the rent seeking factory owner/employer from competition and make goods more expensive for the consumer.

People who lose their jobs should be supported by a well resourced welfare system so they can find something else to do. It's the withdrawal of that support, not free trade, that makes life miserable.

A good post. Music to my ears

# ? Feb 6, 2017 07:17

GrandMaster: Aug 15, 2004; laidback

Border Patrol is even broadcast overseas.. I had a tour guide in Thailand tell me he was afraid to come to Aus after watching it.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 07:43

adamantium|wang: Sep 14, 2003; Missing you

https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/828488580918083584

https://twitter.com/DanBox10/status/828444287289266178

# ? Feb 6, 2017 07:47

NoNotTheMindProbe: Aug 9, 2010; pony porn was here

So I guess it's time to update the Statute of Restraint of Appeals then?

# ? Feb 6, 2017 07:53

WhiskeyWhiskers: Oct 14, 2013; "هذا ليس عادلاً."
"هذا ليس عادلاً على الإطلاق."
"كان هناك وقت الآن."
(السياق الخفي: للقراءة)

I had a Marist Brothers house like a street away from my house growing up. I know one of the brothers used to go for walks passed the school until he was asked to change his route. 20% is hosed up.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 07:53

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

Good News Everyone! You can thank Tony for the continuing destruction of the Liberal Party

quote:

It was a conversation with former prime minister Tony Abbott that sealed the deal.

Liberal senator Cory Bernardi had been fending off months of speculation that he was about to defect and spearhead his own conservative movement.
...
Still despairing over the Liberal Party's decision to copy another Labor policy and kill off a sitting prime minister in its first term and the role it played in the Coalition's near-death election experience, Bernardi confided his worries to Abbott.
...
The two canvassed a range of options, including the much-speculated defection. Bernardi was dismayed when several days later details he had only confided to Abbott turned up in The Australian newspaper. In subsequent articles Abbott himself would be quoted urging against any split. Mr Abbott told Fairfax Media on Monday he has "never" leaked to The Australian.

Feeling betrayed by a man whom he had loyally supported, Bernardi added it to the list of other ailments he felt had infected Australian politics.
...
Bernardi first sensed a problem in 2009, when during a heated and divisive partyroom debate on whether the Coalition should support Kevin Rudd's emissions trading scheme, one of his colleagues, the deceased West Australian MP Don Randall, rose to his feet and said: "I don't give a stuff about the national interest, I want to get re-elected and this needs to go away."

Bernardi went back to his Senate office and wrote down the quote. He never forgot it. It was the beginning of the end.

The story is not clear at all if he meant he was happy not to give a stuff for the national interest, or if he only cares about getting re-elected, or both.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 07:57

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

https://twitter.com/Tim_Beshara/status/828385251516772352

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:00

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

WhiskeyWhiskers posted:

I had a Marist Brothers house like a street away from my house growing up. I know one of the brothers used to go for walks passed the school until he was asked to change his route. 20% is hosed up.

The school I went to was next door to a group that had 40% reported members doing it. Someone ask Cori Bernardi when he will call on all Catholics to denounce this. He can further differentiate his party from the LNP by doing it too!

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:01

adamantium|wang: Sep 14, 2003; Missing you

My mate and I were in the Catholic system growing up, I went to Marist and he went to Patrician.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:09

Anidav: Feb 25, 2010; ahhh fuck its the rats again

Jesus chest Campbell Newman hosed Queensland Rail so hard, its become a vengeful ghosts and claiming Minister scalps.

Seriously gently caress Campbell Newman.

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:12

adamantium|wang: Sep 14, 2003; Missing you

https://twitter.com/susanamet/status/828497700312068097
https://twitter.com/susanamet/status/828497900275527681

:barf:

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:14

NoNotTheMindProbe: Aug 9, 2010; pony porn was here

All jokes aside is it even possible for the government to shut down a religious group short of declaring them violent terrorists or an organised crime syndicate?

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:18

You Am I: May 20, 2001; Me @ your poasting

adamantium|wang posted:

https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/828488580918083584

https://twitter.com/DanBox10/status/828444287289266178

So we should close our borders to Catholics and start harassing them in the streets am I right?

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:18

Starshark: Dec 22, 2005; Doctor Rope

Future Miranda Devine: "Why isn't anyone talking about the 60% of St John of God Brothers who DIDN'T gently caress kids?!??"

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:35

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# ? May 15, 2024 23:12

tithin: Nov 14, 2003; [Grandmaster Tactician]

https://twitter.com/ANSETT_AU/status/828471017920016385

# ? Feb 6, 2017 08:38

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol February 2017 - Choo choose your candidates wisely..

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