Susan St John

So today is International womens day. Before we celebrate, spare a thought for the  mothers stuck under the lowest of all povery lines.

The deficiencies of WFF are apparent in this recession as families who become poor enough to qualify for welfare benefit also suffer a significant cut in WFF for their children. 

Economists are warning that Inequality and housing affordability are only going to get worse as interest rates drop further. Let’s hope that this new government to not be like stunned possums standing in the glare of impending chaos.  

Now we know. It is official.  No more pretence of working on the fundamental WEAG reforms to core benefits. No plans to address the rising child poverty rates projected by Treasury under the current COVID recession. Just more rhetoric around how paid work solves everything and some minor policies that should have been done 3 years ago.

Do you want more family distress and even deeper child poverty? Vote ACT.

ACT’s propositions are to further reduce the welfare safety net, and  their “fair, modern employment insurance scheme” is a chimera designed to deceive. 

Dr Susan St John and Claire Dale

At last there will be attention to the divisive issue of the In Work Tax Credit (IWTC).  From today (1st July) parents no longer have to meet rigid fixed weekly hours of work to qualify for this weekly payment of at least $72.50 made to the caregiver for the support of their children.

Does child poverty now not matter?  Why, since the problem was so clearly identified was it then ignored? And of course, these children live in families with adults who are also impoverished- so does that not matter either? 

As WEAG and CPAG have said multiple times, first fix the Act and frame our purposes and principles intelligently. That is the way to get the culture shift we will so desperately need.