Senator NEWMAN (Social Security) (11:04 AM) —At the outset, I utterly reject a claim made by Senator Margetts at the beginning of her contribution on these requests. She said that young Aboriginal people were being particularly targeted in work for the dole. I think that is quite disgraceful. There is no foundation for that whatsoever and, when you think about it, Senator Margetts, you will know that it was Aboriginal people who had a work for the dole scheme years before young white people were expected to make some contribution in return for the income support given to them by the taxpayer. I think you should think very seriously before you make claims like that.

It is true that the debate on work for the dole has already taken place, but I do want to make a couple of points without holding up the committee. The community does very much endorse the work for the dole scheme. It is not a question of anybody being poll driven; it is a question of recognising that the community sees a virtue in young people being actively involved for the good of their community—for the community's sake and for their own sake. The government cannot sit by and watch more and more young people become isolated from their communities, become defeatist and be without hope because of long job search. We cannot do that and we are not prepared to do that, so the work for the dole scheme is something we are proud of.

We have expanded the program and have made it an important element of the mutual obligations program that was announced by the Prime Minister (Mr Howard) in January. It will enable young people who have got literacy or numeracy problems or who live in remote areas of Australia where jobs are not very easy to come by to participate in voluntary work or part-time work and still satisfy their activity tests. That should be clearly understood in the context of the youth allowance debate.

The Senate should be aware of the fact that something like 60 per cent—and I take these figures out of my head, so I cannot be absolutely sure of the exact figures—of those taking part in the work for the dole scheme to date have done so voluntarily. They have volunteered for it. Something like 40 per cent have actually been directed by Centrelink. They have not been compelled; they have been directed. So many of them are saying how glad they are that somebody did say to them, `We want you to go and take part in a work for the dole scheme.' They did not necessarily like the idea so much when they heard what the job was, but they have found since they have been in it that it has been really quite good.

It is helping them meet people. They are getting out. They are making contacts with other young people. Instead of being isolated at home in front of the TV, for example, they are getting out and meeting people who can potentially find jobs for them and help them with job search. They are getting more confidence in themselves. Many of them are finding fulfilment in the work that they have been asked to do in response to the community's contribution to them.

So it would be wrong to say that work for the dole has negative connotations either in the community or amongst the young people who have been involved in it. A relatively small percentage have actually been breached by Centrelink because they have chosen to not take part in work for the dole. The community has a right to know that there are some young people who are not prepared to make a contribution back to the community for their own sake and for the community's sake. But it is a very small proportion, Senator, which suggests that, even if they are being asked by Centrelink to take up a place, they still do it cheerfully and well, as I would expect young Australians to do.

Do not let us forget in this debate that the very purpose of the youth allowance is focused on young people acquiring skills so that, in time to come, work for the dole will be less of an issue because young people will find it easier to get work. I spoke in the second reading debate about some of the young people in my home state of Tasmania who have no skills, who do not have sufficient education or training and who have little potential for getting work because the jobs that are available require people with skills. That is a mismatch which we should not accept in this country, and the youth allowance is designed to encourage young people and their parents to see the virtue of further training so that they can take the jobs that are offering.

In a country where the types of jobs that are offering are changing so that the service industries and the new technologies are where the jobs are already and will be in the future, it would be grossly wrong of any government not to make an effort to try to get young people skilled to be able to take the jobs as they become available. That is what we are talking about today.

I hope that the work for the dole scheme will not be something that is needed forever. It will not be an issue, certainly, because the community believes it is right and proper. But I would like to think that, because of the youth allowance and because of the improvement of the economy under this government's management, the jobs will come for these young people.