The government tells us that there are plenty of jobs, that its welfare policies are fair and that working for the dole will help young people get good jobs. But any person even vaguely in touch with reality — people like Rohan, Rebecca and Tanika — knows that these are lies.
Rohan has just finished year 12. During high school he was unable to receive Austudy because his mum earned too much money. To support himself, he found a part-time job. He was recently fired from this job, probably because of his increasing age.
Rohan is not eligible for any welfare payments because he is under 25 and lives at home. He is forced to depend on his parents until he can find some form of employment. Luckily, Rohan and his family get along OK, which isn't always the case for young people forced into this situation.
Rebecca lives away from her parents and is over 21, so she is able to get the Newstart allowance. However, Rebecca has been receiving these payments for more than six months, so the hassling has begun. She's had to attend several interviews assessing her performance and participate in a three-week seminar on how to compile a resume (dead boring, not to mention condescending). Now Rebecca has to work for the dole; she spends 40 hours a week painting rocks (beautifying her local surf club).
Tanika left high school when she was 16, half-way through year 11. She has spent the last three years looking for full-time employment, occasionally finding temporary casual work. Tanika applies for up to 20 jobs in a week, but says the competition is too fierce. There's always a high school graduate or someone with experience applying for the same job.