Australia has a long history of coercing people into work. There are better options than 'dobbing in'
After heated criticism from several quarters, the federal government last month announced a meagre rise in the JobSeeker payment for people looking for work. But at just $25 more a week, the subsidy remains the second-lowest in the OECD. The government also announced a hotline for employers to “dob in” unemployed people who reject “suitable work”. These reports will contribute evidence that may be used to reduce or stop payments to JobSeeker recipients. As many have observed, it is a policy with all-too-familiar resonances. A pallet of punitive and stigmatising measures have been roll...