Welfare groups criticise Abbott plan


Advocacy groups have savaged Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's slated welfare reforms as a new pinnacle in the era of "welfare bashing".  

They say his vision does nothing but "take the stick" to vulnerable Australians and rehash policies that have already tried but failed to improve the welfare system.

At a business lunch in Brisbane on Thursday, Mr Abbott outlined a plan for welfare reform, which includes a call to expand income management across Australia.


Predictably, the government joined in the chorus of criticism, questioning whether Mr Abbott's "reheated, recycled" ideas were properly funded.

Under the measures, Mr Abbott has urged compulsory "work for the dole" for the long-term unemployed and welfare benefits scrapped in places wherever there's a shortage of unskilled labour.

Mr Abbott also wants the disability pension to be tweaked to get people back into the workforce faster.

Advocacy groups quickly rejected Mr Abbott's draft plan, saying it tapped into the old idea that people on welfare are solely to blame for their situation.

St Vincent de Paul Society CEO John Falzon said both the major parties are playing off people's concerns about "dole bludgers" and the like to save a few pennies.

"It is the people that we deal with ... that have become a political football," Mr Falzon told reporters in Canberra.

"This is not genuine policy innovation, this is politicising poverty.

"They're playing off people's emotions."

The coalition is not alone in its bid to get tough on welfare, with the government announcing plans in August to suspend payments should job-seekers not meet certain compliance measures.

Further crackdowns are expected when the budget is delivered in May.

UnitingCare's Lin Hatfield Dodds said it was disturbing to see welfare recipients continually targeted.  

"Both the Liberal Party and the Labor Party have really gotten into welfare bashing," she told AAP.  

"The theme emerging seems to be, `If you're on welfare, it's your fault.' 

"There is an element of truism to that, but the bigger story is people are unemployed because of structural reasons."

Injuries and changes in the labour market which causes demand in certain jobs to shift were common reasons behind long-term unemployment in Australia, Ms Hatfield Dodds said.

But she did offer support for Mr Abbott's proposal to provide cash incentives for those willing to move for work, which has also been adopted by the government.

Mr Abbott defended his ideas to ABC Radio.

"What I don't want to see is people who might be participants in the economy just parked forever on welfare," he said.

"And some people aren't very good at managing their affairs and that's why this quarantining makes sense.

"(It's) not a kind of radical right-wing prescription."

Finance Minister Penny Wong said Mr Abbott had merely released another uncosted policy, labelling it "typically reckless economic management".  

F*CK-OFF ABBOTT.

sick ppl?

YOU ARE THE SICKEST OF THE LOT.

you and Joe - Hock my Knee - are C*NTS of the royal order.


walk a mile in a disabled persons shoes - (C*NT FACES both.)


you two wouldn't last a minute.


the true heroes in Australia ARE the disabled, because they suffer two punishments:
1) their sickness.
2) Centre - smacking - link.



btw, i'm in a good mood.

if i were not, i'd be saying something like:

"Abbott, if i ever see you skulking around the suburbs, i'd break both your legs
and then we'd see how you go on DSP.

of course, Abbott wouldn't feel the pain - as he was born without ANY FEELINGS at all.

best,
j.

QUOTE: - ""Mr Abbott defended his ideas to ABC Radio.

"What I don't want to see is people who might be participants in the economy just parked forever on welfare," he said.

"And some people aren't very good at managing their affairs and that's why this quarantining makes sense.""



Yeah, right.

So, penalising everyone for the mistakes or bad decisions
of a few is fair, and makes sense?

Sorry, Tony, but I don't buy it.

Quarantining is only EVER acceptable if it is applied
to those who are KNOWN to be risking children, OR for
the chronically homeless, to get them into some kind
of accommodation.

It is NOT acceptable when applied as a blanket 'solution' to
a largely non-existent problem.

Unemployed-bashing at its right-wing worst.

The unemployed should be patriots and not comply with people we are at war with for the future of our nation.

warrigal wrote on Mar 31^st, 2011 at 6:45am:



You attack me for saying we need to change and then write this?

Yes communities need to create more work for the local youth. It used to be a tradesman would have an apprentice as a duty to the community to pass on the skills.

Don't dream pensioners don't live like kings they do it hard and the genuine cases need more help than they get now. The others i spoke of are generally low socio and need help to get to work as they see no reason to do so. I have heard enough people on work for the dole crews talking about how they are going to get on the pension and won't have to do anything then. It is a mentality we have created by our welfare society thinking.

But it must be remembered, people on welfare DO VOTE, don't they?. 

nairbe wrote on Apr 1^st, 2011 at 7:01am:




Until and unless NoStart is raised to a realistic amount, then personally I don't blame them, if they can get away with it.

This is NOT their fault, it is the fault of the Govt, and the obscenely low NoStart rate.