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Your views: on women rising up, Urrbrae gatehouse and JobKeeper

Today, readers comment on nationwide marches protesting sexual harassment and violence, a heritage building’s rescue plan, and unemployment income.

Mar 16, 2021, updated Mar 16, 2021
Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

Commenting on the story: ‘This is a reckoning’: Women march for justice in Adelaide

Eighteen days. That’s all it took to organise thousands and thousands of women – and men –  to come out on the streets across Australia in the middle of the day – a work day, a school day, when we were busy doing other things.

We interrupted our busy lives because this is important. Don’t let our peaceful marches fool you – we are angry.

We thought we would achieve equality in the 1960s. And the 1970s. And the 1980s. And the 1990s. Etc. Etc. You get the idea.

Some things have changed, but not enough. And frankly, we are tired of waiting.

On average, one woman is killed every week by a current or former partner. Fifty per cent of women self-report having experienced sexual harassment.

One in five women self-reports having experienced sexual violence. The true numbers may be much higher.

The stories of sexual assault that have dominated the headlines for the past few weeks are the tip of the iceberg, and so very many women in those marches had stories of their own. This is not a statistic for so many of us; it is our daily reality.  

We are not safe in our workplaces. We are not safe on the streets. We are not safe in our homes.

We are not safe. And it isn’t good enough. – Louise Miller Frost

Commenting on the story: Urrbrae gatehouse to be moved – not demolished

What a relief! So much of our heritage has been thoughtlessly removed with unnecessary haste. Many thanks to those stalwarts who stood on their hind legs to draw attention to the proposed destruction of this historically distinctive little building. No reckless wrecking balls here, thank you very much. Jane Childs

This is good news for the historic bricks-and-mortar of the gatehouse, but what about the living heritage of the old trees that have stood alongside it since before it was built?

I fear Adelaide is swiftly losing its claim to be a green city, as remnant old growth eucalypts and non-indigenous trees are felled to make way for wider roads and larger buildings. We are in danger of losing many of the pleasing vistas of this city of churches, trees and open landscapes. Please let us consider habitat values for all species first and foremost.

 I am an old scholar from the Waite Institute and still value the priceless Arboretum and beautiful grounds to this day. It is vital living heritage for future generations. Philippa Rowland

I am yet to see an adequate explanation for why this land needs to be acquired in the first place.

The left turn from Cross Rd into Fullarton Rd has never been an issue, and if it’s about widening the road, are we next going to have to fight to save the Urrbrae Wetlands from acquisition?

I suspect it’s road building for the sake of “infrastructure spending”, and we’ll just end up with another traffic chokepoint like we will at the Portrush Road and The Parade intersection. – Jacob Hodgman

Corey Wingard: “Importantly, we can also get on with the job of upgrading this dangerous intersection to improve safety and traffic flow for the thousands of motorists who use it every day.”

“dangerous”. What a lot of cr … rubbish. – Russ Talbot

Commenting on the story: New JobSeeker rules punish both unemployed and employed

This is a really good look into the current situation with Jobseeker and JobActive. The compliance part is what providers use to threaten and bully people on these payments.

I had my own experience recently. My provider needed proof of income, which I told them I might be able to get from my employer on Thursday which is when I would be at work. My provider told me that they would put down an appointment on Thursday as a reminder for them to call me to check if I got the payslips.

Come Thursday night I get a text message saying I recently didn’t meet a requirement and that my payment would be put on hold for this. I called them the next day and they blamed me for not contacting them yesterday when that appointment was, and that I wasn’t complying which is why it was going on hold.

That appointment was supposed to be a reminder for them to call me! Why didn’t they just put a note on their calendar instead of putting me at risk of losing my payment because of their incompetence? – Name supplied

This article has articulated exactly how I feel and how I am treated concerning my experience with my “Job Provider”.

I recently applied for a job at my local IGA. I had heard of a position available through word of mouth, the interview went well with promise of work, I left feeling very hopeful. I then rang my provider to fill him in with my jobseeking efforts.

About ten minutes later I received a text message stating I have been demerited one point and a threat of suspension of pay. I then rang my “job provider” back up to ask why this is. He told me he had rung the IGA to check if I had actually been there, which I had, but because it wasn’t a proper interview arranged via an advertisement it wasn’t considered a real job interview so he penalised me.

By him ringing up a future prospect employer and asking them if I had been there, I think, is totally humiliating and insinuates I may be a liar, which is definitely not a good look. It’s all so Goddam wrong! Makes me so angry and so depressed. So sick of being judged and constantly catering to providers’ egos. – Name supplied

The Government should scrap Job Providers and go back to employing people who actually care about helping others become employed. My son has travelled 45 mins for five minutes of “check in”: a waste of time and bus fees.

He’s been asked to take a job, 10pm to 6am with no fixed work place, when he doesn’t drive.

Open more Centrelink centres, not close them, as not all job seekers have access to a computer at home. Employ an adequate amount of staff for phone communication, I have waited an hour to speak to someone. Stop accusing job seekers of “dole bludging ” when there are not enough jobs to go around. – Name supplied

I am a 58-year-old male who has not applied for jobs I know I would have no chance of getting just to meet the governments requirements, therefore I am unable to meet those requirements and I am now at a stage where living on the streets and having no support will probably be my only option.

Does the government want me to keep sending the same employer my resume time and time again, when the employer states previous applicants need not apply? On my previous job search on Seek I was only suited to three jobs so no wonder people are doing ridiculous job applications just to keep their support payments! – Name supplied

I totally agree with this report. I had no idea this was how people on income support were treated until I was made redundant last September.

I am in my sixties and have never been out of work before. I only have two years until I can retire and have found that employers are reluctant to take someone on at my age although I have much experience in my field of accounts. 

The government’s new requirements have put a lot of extra pressure on me because as well as feeling depressed at being rejected for jobs because of my age, I now have to apply for many more, go to more interviews and be rejected even more. My mental health is definitely being affected. I may have to seek help for my mental health soon which I was trying to avoid as I felt the mental health system was too much under pressure already.

The government have no idea what it is like to be unemployed with no prospects of finding a suitable job and being two years from retirement without a job.

Please, Prime Minister and government ministers, reconsider and please do something to help those that are so near retirement and on the scrap heap. – Name supplied

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