Apologies for the five week interregnum. A bout of flu (I
tested negative!), and other research and family priorities meant a loss of momentum.
Today, Inside Story published a short article of
mine on Noel Pearson’s proposal for a universal job guarantee (link here). While I
have not always fully agreed with Pearson’s policy proposals, I have always
admired his vision, his analytical approach, and his unerring focus on issues
that matter. The policy issues around employment
and underemployment are one of the five most important policy challenges facing
First Nations, and should be one of the major policy priorities for mainstream
policymakers.
Pearson’s ideas on employment and a universal jobs
guarantee deserve to be the subject of ongoing advocacy and development by all
Australians concerned about the future shape of our nation.
Amongst the issues requiring further analysis and
consideration, and only hinted at in my article, are the implications of the
demographic and cultural heterogeneity of remote Indigenous populations, and in
particular, the need for any jobs guarantee scheme (particularly if it is a
universal scheme) to be implemented rigorously yet in accordance with Indigenous
priorities and cultural norms.
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