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.
-
Calling all pacifists
“We are called to live ‘in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars’. Do you faithfully maintain our testimony that war and the preparation for war are inconsistent with the spirit of Christ? Search out whatever in your own way of life may contain the seeds of Continue reading »
-
Goodhart’s Law and the overlooked complexities in Australia’s employment services sector
Yesterday, I wrote that the Jevons Paradox is a good explanation for the problems of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Today, I look at another theory – Goodhart’s Law – to explain what is wrong with Australia’s $3 Billion a year employment services sector. Continue reading »
-
Unpacking the Jevons Paradox: how effectiveness gains in the NDIS lead to increased demand
Australia has just completed major reviews of two of its largest public expenditures – the NDIS and Employment Services. Each program manifests problems predicted by two lesser-known economic theories: the Jevons Paradox in the case of the NDIS and Goodhart’s Law in the case of employment services. Neither were mentioned in either review. Continue reading »
-
Rebuilding Employment Services will take more than a few virtuous words
Pearls and Irritations’ weekly roundup this week commented on the paucity of analysis regarding the House of Representatives Select Committee’s report Rebuilding Employment Services. This is not surprising given the number and complexity of its recommendations. However, it is hard to pin down many specifics in the report other than the current system is useless. Continue reading »
-
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 »
-
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 »
-
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 »
-
Australia’s modern Stanford Prison Experiment
Is Workforce Australia a modern-day Stanford Prison Experiment? Continue reading »
-
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 »
-
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 »
