A week of change for two very different Canberrans was reported on the front page of The Canberra Times for March 30 in 1984.
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In an attempt to understand the difficulties faced by those on the dole, MP Stephen Lusher swapped lives with an unemployed woman, Tracy McPartlan.
While Tracy enjoyed a week of luxury at Canberra's Rex Hotel, Stephen experienced what life was like while relying on the dole.
60 Minutes arranged the swap and organised the week along with ACT Social Services.
Tracy was surprised at the level of attention that the swap attracted, saying "I just gave my house to someone".
The point of the exercise was for Stephen Lusher to see how difficult it is to live on dole payments after he stated he believed the payments were too high and did not give people any incentive to find work.
Tracy seemed to be enjoying herself, aside from the fact that her temporary existence was "un-private".
