Productivity at war with compassion

Productivity is define as the state or quality of being productive and in terms of the Australian Economy that translate in to the ability to work.  This creates a number of social and economic issues as we struggle with things like access for all Australians, social inclusion, unemployment and underemployment. While it is great to see the Australian Liberal Government focus on the economy,  economic stability and job creation it needs  to make sure it doesn’t drop the ball on its social obligation to maintain human dignity and human  rights.

We have already seen the UN Commission of equal human rights question the Federal Governments priority to ensure an equitable future for all Australian.  However since being elected Tony Abott has made is feelings towards those who life circumstance  has not be fair.  The Gina Rinharts of this great economy of ours would have you believe anyone can rise up above the soco-economic environment in which they find themselves and create a multi-million dollar empire ‘if they weren’t afraid of hard work.

Now I do not dispute that Gina Rinhart is one of the most hard working people in Australia any one that manages an empire as large as hers works in creditably hard and long hours what I have difficulty in swallowing is a belief that everyone on welfare is lazy and Australians can is 2013 walk in to any job they chose. The fact that Gina Rinhart is a the top of the business world should mean as a woman she has first hand faced so type of discrimination.

If not she only needs to talk to our current Prime Minister to experience the inner workings of a man’s mind and how women are devalued it the corporate world. Even having experienced discrimination as a woman, Gina Rinhart is still speaking from a position of privilege, she wasn’t born into a working class.  She was raise in a position of privilege which gives her access to privileges’ such private education, tertiary education and I am sure there are making things about the business world she learnt by observing her father.

Social conditioning and the effect it can have on individuals is too often dismissed but the Tony Abbrot’s and the Gina Rinhart’s of this society.  Despite what I think we’d all like to believe, not everyone can become a millionaire. If you believe that try telling that to a parent with a child with Down Syndrome who wants to access any Grammar School in Australia for her 5 year old daughter.

Or a young 17 year-old girl with cerebral palsy who has to not only achieve the academic results to gain entry into university, but prove she can physical cope with the strains of academic life while living away from home.  Oh yeah add into the mix the she’s the first generation of a working class family to gain a tertiary education.

The trouble is when we’re making statements about changes government policies is the general were making board and sweeping statements about a minority group and while that statement may be true for the ‘norm’ of the population, very few people might belong to that norm, especially when we’re talking about very small minority groups, like refugees.

The liberal government has stragtically played into the hands of the general population fears of terriots and feelings of righteousness and false gaining advantage with its turning back the boats policies.  If I had witiness the murder of my entire family and fled across the border in fear for my own life,  I can assure you I didn’t wait for me passport and visa to arrive in the mail.      

Any broad sweep ting statement about an soci-economic group will feed into things like misconceptions people have about that percentage of the population whether or not the government is basing its statements on statistical data or not.  Such as the statement claimed to be made by the Prime Minister in the Australian today, one in twenty working aged people in Australia receive a welfare payment.  The wording of the articles who have you believe these productive people are receiving entitlements when other taxpayers their age have to work.

The author as does the Prime Minister assumes the majority of this particular population ‘doesn’t want to work’ and productivity or the ability to be productive means you are employable.   I am by nature a very productive person and high achiever, but what boss is going to employ someone with uncontrollable seizures that will need to off even other week.  I can’t guardutee all my seizures will occur on my days off even if I only working 20 hours a week.

That my friends is the trouble when we make statements about norms even when support by statistics.  This government either governs with a social agenda or stimulates economic growth. I think the government is pretty clear when it make statements like the NDIS being ‘a cause’ rather than addressing a human rights issue (A ‘cause’ they gave bipartisan support to while in opposition – because it was the decent thing for a country like Australia to do!”) it’s very clear how it views their  social responsibilities .

Reform solely based on productivity and economic stability or growth puts at risk many socially disadvantage Australians, who despite hard work and remaining productive, through life hard knocks rather than poor choices need a helping hand.  Unfortunately it looking like the federal government has little room in its budget for heart and compassion even when basic human rights are at risk.