Work, or Be Damned
I tend towards agreement with the proposition that moving welfare recipients into employment is a good idea. The Americans with Disabilities Act had some strange provisions, but overall was positive, not least insofar as it put businesses in the position of having to accommodate individuals who otherwise might end up on the rolls. Work-for-the-dole schemes also have their positive aspects, as do training programs. Discouraging bludging seems to me to be taking responsibility, the kind of custodial relationship I want from government, not only because they’re spending my money for me, but also because I want the best value from that expenditure. Taking responsibility does not, however, mean abusing welfare recipients.

So why are single mothers being singled out? I wasn’t raised in a single-parent family, and, for that matter, my mom worked, so I’m probably not as qualified as some to comment on this issue. While it appears reasonable for single parents to take on part-time work once their kiddies are in school, there’s a lot more at issue than just school hours being suddenly “free” time. In fact, there’s all the appearance of taking advantage of the vulnerability of particular categories: unmarried mothers and the disabled. In regard to single mothers, leaving aside the issue of whether there is sufficient support in place for them to take jobs, is it just wild conspiracy theorizing to suggest that their status is somehow repugnant to legislators like Treasurer Peter Costello, that single women with children somehow represent to them all that’s wrong with society? I really do get the impression that John Howard’s government wants to take Australia back in time, with Tony Abbott looking for backhanded methods of returning to back alley abortion days, and the more general push to, on one hand, remove women from the workforce, unless, now on the other hand, their single mothers, in which case they’d better get jobs sooner rather than later. Maybe they can just strap the ol’ papoose on their backs and go pick some cotton, huh?

This is the point where you’ll start hearing the government (or at least its supporters) say, well of course we’ll have the support systems in place, but unless it’s already there or you actually specify what you’re going to do, it’s like the Bush proposals for Social Security, where unless they’re speaking at dog-whistle pitch, there’s nothing but the sound of the wind.