Writer

David O' Halloran
David O’Halloran is an occupational therapist with nearly 40 years’ experience and lectures in Work and Labour Market Theory at Monash University. He is also the President of the Tasmanian Council of Churches.
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Unemployed workers are tired of being the RBA’s blunt instrument
The term ‘jobseeker’ needs to be dropped – it is Orwellian in nature and has no place in a civil society. Continue reading »
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What does a “good” employment service look like?
This week, the House Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services held one of its public hearings. During the opening remarks, the Committee chair, Julian Hill remarked that he had asked the Department of Employment what a good service model looks like, and they couldn’t answer. He said they looked like a bunch of “well-paid, Continue reading »
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The sin of Robodebt
What appears to be absent from the politicians and public servants appearing in the Robodebt Royal Commission is an understanding that it was a moral failure – a sin. Finding the sinners to punish in atonement might make us feel better for a moment, but it might not fix the sin. Continue reading »
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Australia’s modern Stanford Prison Experiment
Is Workforce Australia a modern-day Stanford Prison Experiment? Continue reading »
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David O’Halloran: One hour a week counts as employed – it doesn’t matter
One hour a week counts as employed – it doesn’t matter. Continue reading »
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DAVID O’HALLORAN : Workforce Australia will repeat the same mistakes as jobactive
Australia’s employment services system is about to have a major shake-up commencing on July 4th. The lamentable ‘jobactive’ (no capital ‘j’) is being replaced by a new program ‘Workforce Australia’. Will Workforce Australia be any better than previous designs? Continue reading »