Single parents and their children suffer as Senate passes cuts
October 9, 2012 - Leading welfare voices came together in Canberra on Tuesday to protest against the Federal Government's decision to press ahead with damaging cuts to the payments of more than 100,000 single parents in defiance of two separate Committee recommendations.
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said, "This is not the right way to achieve a Budget surplus, on the back of sole parents and their children. It's cruel and unfair, especially for the children that will be severely affected!"
Regrettably the legislation passed in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon (October 9, 2012), but we will not stop the fight against the changes which are set to take affect from January 1, 2013.
Background
In the May 2012 Budget, the Federal Government announced that it planned to save $700 million by forcing well over 100 000 more single parents (over 90% are women) off the Parenting Payment onto the Newstart Allowance, which is now so low it is unbearable to live on.
There is a Parliamentary Inquiry right now investigating the adequacy of this payment, which hasn't been increased in real terms in almost 20 years.
The Bill to force more single parents onto the low Newstart payment has been dealt with by two parliamentary committees. Both these committees, with majority government members, expressed serious concern about their cut in income, which could be up to $60 per week, or even more than $100, depending on your circumstances.
Both committees recommended that the Bill be delayed until the completion of the Newstart Inquiry towards the end of this year. But now the government has decided to bring the legislation forward in the Senate next week.
This is simply unacceptable and we continue to urge a Government rethink on this damaging policy.
Sign the National Council for Single Mothers and their Children ... Petition
1 comment:
This is incredibly disturbing; more so after watching an article on television about this whole vile situation. The comment one radio “personality” made that “these people have a sense of entitlement” and another that claimed the changes were to restore “equality” of treatment demonstrates their insulation from reality.
It seems to have escaped their attention that “these people” include some of the most disadvantaged citizens of a so-called first world country. They are woman and children who have often endured unfortunate circumstances that have forced them to survive on very little. While there may be a few exceptions, the vast majority of them must live without things the more fortunate take for granted.
Cost cutting to improve budgets is noble providing the savings are used to improve the quality of life for the most disadvantaged. If equality is the aim, then perhaps those making decisions on things they know nothing about should pay more tax and slash their own excessive wages and “sense of entitlement” before depriving women and children of their basic necessities and forcing them to live in fear and terror of being out on the street.
If high-wages attract the best candidates for a job it seems we are paying our current political “representatives” too much. There is a difference between what people are paid and what they earn. Single-parents are raising the next generation for very little “pay”, no holidays, no Superannuation, no work cover, and no thanks while our politicians are teaching those parents and children an important lesson about the myth of a “fair go”.
The notion that they go get work during school hours would be great if work was available and the fantastic work flexibility was actually real instead of pure fantasy. Many single parents would love the chance to feel useful and socialise with adults but in the real world work, not to mention being able to buy nice things for their children.
Perhaps it is time to reconsider what is important in this country. Single parents are an easy target because they have no voice or finances for legal responses but they vote, so unless the plan is to send them on trains to death camps because they are responsible for our economic woes then stupid decisions like this will have them voting for the likes of Mr Abbott and work choices.
The most distressing part of this whole sorry situation is that many of the people making this decision claim to be Christians and this is how they treat the poor who need their help. Talk about hypocrisy.
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