I see no reason why this effort couldn't work for everyone starting out in life as newly married, or couples, and young people starting out in life, either going to university or setting up home. The general idea would be that they could save enough on living expenses to offset either university fees, or save up during training programs to fund their first motgage.
I don't think the whole model is beyond redemption, it just needs to be realistic. There will always be people who don't save and get themselves into debt, so why not have free education classes, or even better put this in the school curriculum, along with how the actual nuts and bolts of the political system works.
Our young people do get to spend a visit to our states chamber, and have a debate on something as an experience. This is surprisingly effective, and they seem to reach good results a lot quicker than our squabbling states members who are so full of their own ajendas they cant make decisions, and move things forward as quickly as a bunch of teenagers who haven't been 'elected'!
To be honest I would rather see candidates 'screened' befor being allowed to be put up for elections. I would want to know that they have passed a fit for the job test before they were allowed to put themselves foreward for the electorate. Do they have a real grasp of current affairs, the voice of their electorate, and sufficient debating skills to do the job? Also complete clarity on their personal investments and affiliations.
The reason I say that is there is so much that becomes corrupted, that I think anyone entering the political arena should not also be able to take any sort of 'bribe' type backhanders. I think it's Norway that provides 'flatlets' for their politicians when visiting their states chamber.
This seems a good model. Lest see the politicians living within their own means! It was scandalous how many of them were fiddling expenses. Let's try a system where this is not a possibility. There is no doubt politicians get invited to corporate hospitality events, I don't see this as an acute problem, but I think there should be a public list of all events and who has attended. There is still such a 'jobs for the boys' network in British politics that I thinks something must be done about a restructuring of candidates put foreward.
Do we realy need professional politicians at all if we have a decentralised model of government?
Just a few thoughts to start the day off!