The Greens have rejected the government’s austerity agenda and are pushing an ambitious reshaping of the economy that includes jobs guarantees for young people and a means-tested basic income for all.
Underemployment is at the highest level since records began following an unprecedented drop in working hours, and these numbers will worsen as the government insists on cutting spending and ignoring pleas by economists to pursue a “full employment” agenda.
Urgent “major reform of the social security system” is needed after a Senate committee found payments such as Jobseeker would need to be almost doubled to keep people above poverty levels.
Australia is entering the worst downturn in its history and experts say policies being advocated by the federal government and the business community could exacerbate poverty to the point of “bloodshed”.