see, this is the kind of non-policy that every government has been pushing forever. they make it seem like the job market is healthy, and these unemployed workers are just too lazy and stupid to get a job. what they need is a better education!

meanwhile, they note elsewhere in the budget that young people coming out of school are facing unprecedented challenges.

we used to have the courage to call this what it is - supply-side economics - and reject it as ineffective.

but, the government is not allowed to create jobs anymore due to competition laws. so, what this is is actually a type of welfare. successive governments have refused to admit this because it puts the entire neo-liberal agenda into question. but, the way i see it is that they're just wasting resources. would it not be better to stop wasting money on retraining and instead use those monies to increase and lengthen the assistance?

the reality is that these people are not going to find new jobs. when is the government going to adjust to the new economy, admit the reality of things and find a way beyond it?