David O'Halloran

Recent articles by David O'Halloran

From welcome to jeering: How disrespect spreads

From welcome to jeering: How disrespect spreads

Norms do not sustain themselves. They are shaped, modelled, and sometimes destroyed – publicly, rhetorically, politically.

If I were minister for employment services: No more bastardry dressed up as policy

If I were minister for employment services: No more bastardry dressed up as policy

If I were minister for employment services, I’d begin by stating what should already be obvious: Australia’s employment services system is not fit for purpose.

Submarines are not instruments of peace: A Quaker’s response to Australia’s strategic obsession

Submarines are not instruments of peace: A Quaker’s response to Australia’s strategic obsession

Rear Admiral Peter Briggs’ recent defence of submarines offers a polished, strategic case for Australia’s continued investment in this kind of military hardware – especially nuclear-powered ones.

Building Australia’s future – For whom?

Building Australia’s future – For whom?

As the next federal election looms, the Albanese Government is preparing to campaign under a new slogan: “Building Australia’s Future”.

The Bible, the Hawking Index, and the case for critical engagement

The Bible, the Hawking Index, and the case for critical engagement

If a younger me had come across an article written by an older me arguing that the Bible should be taught in schools, I’d have assumed some serious u-turn was in my destiny.

OSCA’s quiet arrival: Rethinking how Australia defines work

OSCA’s quiet arrival: Rethinking how Australia defines work

Australia’s new job classification system, OSCA, replaces ANZSCO with little fanfare. Its streamlined approach raises questions about workforce planning, transparency, and the evolving definition of work.

The widow’s mite: a call to justice, not sacrifice

The widow’s mite: a call to justice, not sacrifice

The early Quakers knew that a deep understanding of the Bible was critical to recognising when they were being fed bullshit cloaked in religious language. By knowing Scripture well, they resisted manipulation and propaganda, ensuring faith remained a force for justice rather than a tool of power.

The missing story of the adulteress: censorship, power, and the bible

The missing story of the adulteress: censorship, power, and the bible

By grappling with the history of the story of the adulteress, we are reminded to approach Scripture critically, aware of how it has been shaped and reshaped to suit power. In doing so, we ensure that its calls for justice, equity, and mercy are not silenced but remain central to our understanding of faith and humanity.

Hope: A shared responsibility

Hope: A shared responsibility

In uncertain times, hope can feel fragile, but it remains essential. It’s up to the adults in the room to foster resilience and take practical steps to inspire and support future generations.

Howard’s Iraq War legacy: Tasmania’s brief moment of integrity

Howard’s Iraq War legacy: Tasmania’s brief moment of integrity

The release of newly declassified 2004 cabinet documents about Australia’s involvement in the Iraq War sheds further light on one of the most controversial decisions in the nation’s history. The evidence confirms what many suspected: secrecy, manipulation, and unverified claims drove the Howard government’s decision to commit troops to Iraq. Amid the rush to war, Tasmania’s The Mercury briefly stood apart, publishing an anti-war editorial in September 2002 that warned of the dangers ahead.

Every day is Christmas: A Quaker perspective

Every day is Christmas: A Quaker perspective

The peace, goodwill, and love of Christmas aren’t confined to December—there’s an opportunity to see the sacred in everyday moments, all year round.

A flicker of reform: Can Labor avoid political collapse?

A flicker of reform: Can Labor avoid political collapse?

As the Albanese government announces modest employment services reforms, it faces growing disillusionment and risks losing ground to Peter Dutton’s Trump-inspired exploitation of economic and cultural frustrations.

When the system fails

When the system fails

As someone who has spent most of my life working with people for whom the system is profoundly broken, I wrestle with the same question that many middle-class people do: Why do so many disenfranchised people support figures like Donald Trump, whose policies often seem designed to further entrench inequality? The answer, I’ve come to realise, isn’t as simple as ignorance or irrationality—it’s about living in a system that fundamentally doesn’t work for them, a reality that can be hard for us in the middle class to fully grasp.

When life gives you oranges...

When life gives you oranges...

While the result of the US election is bleak in some ways, it may ultimately lead to a more independent Australian foreign policy—one that centres on regional needs rather than simply following American interests.

Payslip harassment: Another scandal in the Australian welfare system

Payslip harassment: Another scandal in the Australian welfare system

New revelations have exposed the continued abuse of vulnerable Australians by privatised employment services under Workforce Australia. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information by the Australian Unemployed Workers' Union confirm that several providers are threatening job-seekers with payment suspensions to coerce them into handing over payslips. This is a clear breach of the guidelines, but the government has failed to hold these providers to account. The question continues: what is the point of a Labor Government?

A blueprint for inaction - the government's feeble response to Employment Services crisis

A blueprint for inaction - the government's feeble response to Employment Services crisis

Amid rising demands for robust employment reforms, the Albanese government's response disappoints, offering vague promises over decisive action. This critique unpacks why minimal improvements and continued reliance on flawed policies may leave the most vulnerable behind, questioning if mere mediocrity is the new standard.

Calling all pacifists

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 war. Stand firm in our testimony, even when others commit or prepare to commit acts of violence, yet always remember that they too are children of God. Advices and Queries

Goodhart's Law and the overlooked complexities in Australia's employment services sector

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 Goodharts Law to explain what is wrong with Australias $3 Billion a year employment services sector.

Unpacking the Jevons Paradox: how effectiveness gains in the NDIS lead to increased demand

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 Goodharts Law in the case of employment services. Neither were mentioned in either review.

Rebuilding Employment Services will take more than a few virtuous words

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 Committees 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.

On carrots and sticks and the unemployed

On carrots and sticks and the unemployed

Australias main Active Labor Market Program, the Duttonesque sounding Workforce Australia, is the latest iteration of a long line of models for Employment Services inflicted on the unemployed since the demise of the CES 25 years ago. Its yet another Morrison government turd that the Albanese government should have flushed away the minute the ink was dry at Yarralumla.

Unemployed workers are tired of being the RBAs blunt instrument

Unemployed workers are tired of being the RBAs blunt instrument

The term jobseeker needs to be dropped it is Orwellian in nature and has no place in a civil society.

What does a good employment service look like?

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, gaping fish. Harsh.

The sin of Robodebt

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.

Australias modern Stanford Prison Experiment

Australias modern Stanford Prison Experiment

Is Workforce Australia a modern-day Stanford Prison Experiment?

David O'Halloran: One hour a week counts as employed - it doesn't matter

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.

DAVID O'HALLORAN : Workforce Australia will repeat the same mistakes as jobactive

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?

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