This is an obvious question given the almost diametrically opposed positions touted by the government in respect of two very different pieces of legislation in Parliament last week.

One was the permanent increase of just $50 a fortnight to the JobSeeker payment, and the imposition of even tougher mutual obligation requirements for the unemployed.

The other was the so-called "IR omnibus bill" which the government used its numbers to ram through the lower house last Tuesday.

When it came to capping the JobKeeper (formerly Newstart) allowance increase at just $3.70 a day, the Prime Minister and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash couldn't have been more upbeat.

Australia was experiencing a world-beating economic recovery, with 93 per cent of the jobs lost during the pandemic having already snapped back.

The presumption appeared to be that if the permanent JobSeeker/Newstart increase was too generous then work-shy Netflix addicts wouldn't answer the nation's call to take up jobs employers are apparently struggling to fill.

"Now, in 2021, and in particular with 93 per cent of the jobs lost during COVID returning to the economy, and with our focus on the post-pandemic economy, it's time to reinstate mutual obligation," Ms Cash told reporters last week.

And, as far as the Prime Minister was concerned, there was a real sense of "mission accomplished" when he fronted the cameras.

"We are now confident that, at the end of next month, that our social safety net can once again be able to provide the support it needs to Australians [without JobKeeper or the JobSeeker supplement] as we come out of the COVID-19 recession," Mr Morrison said.

But this was the same day the House of Representatives was debating controversial industrial relations changes the government says are vital to save existing jobs and to create new ones.

So which is it? The government can't really have it both ways, in a Dickensian "best of times, worst of times" scenario.

We're either flying or faltering, or somewhere in between. More than ever we need honesty from our leaders - and we need maturity as a nation to handle the truth.