Somewhat incredibly – and almost uniquely among wealthy nations – Australia lacks a true unemployment insurance system. What we have instead is a meagre form of semi-permanent welfare that serves nobody well – not recipients, not employers, not our economy.

This gap has been overlooked during the public debate about what to do with the JobSeeker unemployment benefit that currently supports well over a million Australians. Instead, we’ve seen the same old tug of war, the outcome of which is sure to fully satisfy no one.