The idea was a very good one, but is the best example of what has been wrong with Labour since Hawke/Keating, their implementation of policy is just absolutely woeful.
NBN great idea, woeful execution and management.
etc etc etc.
This is where we sit in the era of professional politics: point scoring and seeking nothing but public approval.
All these "schemes" are set up to inject some goodwill into the ecosystem and make the recipients (who save capital cost) think the PM isn't such a bad bloke after all. The fact that it has money-saving AND environmental concerns is also a bonus for political circle-jerking.
The problem of course is you create a battery of these things that emerge, flourish, and then die quickly as the funding dries up. The lack of forethought fails to anticipate the true cost, the government scales back the $$$ and next thing you know, all those jobs you "created" fall as if shot. Mostly affected are young people who can be brought in as cheap labour with no training (often with fatal results as has been seen).
So when you combine youth employment with short-term schemes, is it any wonder you get the highest youth under employment figure for 40 years?
These aren't "schemes" - they're "scams".
What we SHOULD be doing is helping people find meaningful jobs e.g.
Research & Development - those who wish to be educated and can help drive innovation, particularly in the sciences which are going to help save the planet.
Technical production - engineers and tech specialists who will put the ideas and innovation into practice
Manual labour - ultimately all this stuff has to be implemented somehow, and the people doing everything supported and maintained. I think the search for profit over all else will reduce these jobs to menial AI and other machines, which is a genuine shame.
I fear for my kids in this increasingly sparse environment. Its about ten years until my boy enters the work force; with the advent of automation and labour reduction through technology, will there be anything left?
Are we facing a future prophesised in comics like Judge Dredd, where employment is for the few, and the many are just slaves to idleness and reality TV?