Senators push for Newstart increase

    by: PATRICIA KARVELAS
    From: The Australian
    March 25, 2013


LEFT-WING Labor senator Doug Cameron will put pressure on Wayne Swan to help single mothers and the unemployed in the budget, in a speech calling for the party to deliver on its core values.

Senator Cameron will give the speech today as Australia's community welfare sector gathers to call for an increase in the Newstart Allowance.     ;)

Backing the increase, Senator Cameron and Australian Greens senator Rachel Siewert will stress the urgency of the issue today at the national Australian Council of Social Services conference.     :)

Senator Cameron will tell the conference that Australian children are being forced into poverty because of the government's decision to move single parents from the single parent payment to Newstart in January.

Senator Cameron wants the mining tax expanded and tougher tax treatment of trusts to pay for a $50 increase to Newstart. He says pushing people into poverty is not a Labor value.


"I think we have gone too far towards the individual rather than deal with society as a whole and deal with it as a collective," he said.

"It is absolutely essential that we consider what is the price of a good society. We need to make changes and consider how we pay for these . . . reforms."

Australian Council of Social Service chief Cassandra Goldie said community welfare sector representatives would make a united appeal for the $50 increase to the single Newstart Allowance payment in this year's budget.

"This can be funded, and must be funded in this budget if we're serious about dealing with the worsening level of poverty in our country," she said. "One-in-eight people are living in poverty in Australia. People who are out of paid work and on the lowest payments are among the highest risk."

Maree O'Halloran, president of the National Welfare Rights Network, said the case for increased financial assistance for single parents and other people on Newstart was compelling.     ;)

"We welcome support from ministers like (Anthony) Albanese," she said.

Mr Albanese, the Infrastructure and Transport Minister who was raised by a single mother, said: "In terms of the position, I'm very sympathetic, as you can imagine, given my background, to single parents."

Ms O'Halloran said single parents "need the government to deliver in the federal budget. There needs to be an across-the-board $50 per week increase for all single people on Newstart including 120,000 single parents, 100,000 unemployed people with disabilities, and 250,000 people who have been out of work for over two years."     [smiley=thumbsup.gif]   

I really do wonder what it will take before those in denial of an increase
being necessary and long-overdue realise just how wrong they are, and
have been, on this issue?

Personally, I believe that the ONLY thing that'll knock some sense and
perspective into them is if they themselves were forced to suffer through
a period of prolonged unemployment.

Sadly, though, some are so wantonly ignorant of the facts that I fear
even this wouldn't be enough to penetrate their shallow, closed minds.

Sorry, the budget's already in deficit.  No spare cabbage for dole increases.

Quote:

Sorry, the budget's already in deficit.  No spare cabbage for dole increases.

The budget deficit is insignificant compared with almost every other nation on the globe. There is plenty of cabbage.

Australia's biggest financial problem is not the budget deficit or government borrowing (which is also insignificant) but the way that the private sector (Westpac, NAB, CBA, ANZ and the rest) have borrowed offshore to fund the mortgages of people (like Swagman?) who have paid increasingly ridiculous prices for absurd McMansions in which to live - and in the process made it even more difficult for unemployed people to somehow find a roof over their heads.

Swagman wrote on Mar 25^th, 2013 at 2:35pm:

Sorry, the budget's already in deficit.  No spare cabbage for dole increases.

Thats easy. Just get rid of the middle class wealthfare and there will be enough with change.

SOB

newtown_grafitti wrote on Mar 25^th, 2013 at 9:55pm:

Quote: Sorry, the budget's already in deficit.  No spare cabbage for dole increases. The budget deficit is insignificant compared with almost every other nation on the globe. There is plenty of cabbage. Australia's biggest financial problem is not the budget deficit or government borrowing (which is also insignificant) but the way that the private sector (Westpac, NAB, CBA, ANZ and the rest) have borrowed offshore to fund the mortgages of people (like Swagman?) who have paid increasingly ridiculous prices for absurd McMansions in which to live - and in the process made it even more difficult for unemployed people to somehow find a roof over their heads.

That is the lamest stupidest most incompetent argument you can make.  Obviously if the Govt spends more than it earns every year it will eventually go broke.  Labor Govts always spend more than they earn because they are fiscally incompetent.


Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Mar 26^th, 2013 at 5:02am:

Swagman wrote on Mar 25th, 2013 at 2:35pm: Sorry, the budget's already in deficit.  No spare cabbage for dole increases. Thats easy. Just get rid of the middle class wealthfare and there will be enough with change. SOB

Wealthfare is a myth.

Fine, I hope Labor does try and remove tax rebates, it certainly won't buy them anymore votes that's for certain as the perpetual dole dependent already vote for them.

Swagman wrote on Mar 26^th, 2013 at 7:47am:

Wealthfare is a myth.

Really? So nobody gets a baby bonus then? So private schools arent funded then?

SOB

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Mar 26^th, 2013 at 8:36am:

Swagman wrote on Mar 26th, 2013 at 7:47am: Wealthfare is a myth. Really? So nobody gets a baby bonus then? So private schools arent funded then? SOB

Unless EVERYONE pays the same amount of income tax wealthfare is a myth.

If I pay $20 Grand tax and you pay zero and the Govt gives me a discount (30% rebate on my health insurance for example that is maybe $300 a year) I still pay $19,700 in tax and you still pay Zippo.

Yes wealthfare is indeed a myth and progressive taxation is slavery.... :(

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Mar 26^th, 2013 at 8:36am:

Swagman wrote on Mar 26th, 2013 at 7:47am: Wealthfare is a myth. Really? So nobody gets a baby bonus then? SOB

The baby bonus is only paid to those with an income of less than $75K you fukn retard.