Mutual obligation makes difficult lives doubly hard

But more needs to be done to fix the problems in the tax and social security systems which see unemployed people losing around 80 per cent or more of their wages when they take on casual or part-time work.

For example, the McClure Report recommended fixing the problem caused by the overlapping of the means tests for Family Tax Benefit (A) and Youth Allowance.

Consulting widely

Another major positive aspect of the Government's welfare reform statement is the establishment of an expert Consultative Forum that has members from the community services sector, academia, the public sector and business.

The Forum should widely canvass views on some of the key unresolved issues such as a better social security payment structure. There is a long way to go in this and many other important areas of outstanding need.

Come Budget time next May, let us hope there's enough fuel in the tank to continue on the journey of welfare reform.