Fed: Kernot admits Labor would roll back dole work Abbott

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2000
Fed: Kernot admits Labor would roll back dole work Abbott

CANBERRA, Aug 2 AAP - Labor had confirmed it would roll back work for the dole if it
gained government, federal Employment Services Minister Tony Abbott said today.

He said Opposition employment spokeswoman Cheryl Kernot admitted as much with her statement
to the ALP national conference today:

"... we will ensure that a Labor government honours its responsibilities in reciprocal
obligation contracts by providing basic accredited training under programs based on work
for the dole."

Mr Abbott said the ALP wanted to recreate big spending, big government, Working Nation-style
programs that were mostly expensive failures.

"Working Nation programs churned job seekers through training for training's sake in
an attempt to artificially reduce unemployment figures," he said in a statement.

"Labor will dismantle work for the dole despite department research released last week
confirming that work for the dole participants were 76 per cent more likely to find work
or training than similar job seekers who did not participate."

The study showed work for the dole was just as effective in more difficult labour markets
with higher unemployment, he said.

He also claimed Ms Kernot and Labor's community services spokesman Wayne Swan were
at odds over policy on the coalition government's privatised job-finding scheme, Job Network.

While Ms Kernot had said Labor would not abolish Job Network, Mr Swan had referred
to the removal of compulsory competitive tendering based on price and competition.

AAP dep/mfh/cjh/de

KEYWORD: ALP DOLE

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