Batman Greens candidate Alex Bhathal today condemned the passage in the Senate of legislation extending income quarantining across the Northern Territory and the rest of Australia.
The Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform and Reinstatement of Racial Discrimination Act) Bill 2009 gives the Commonwealth the power to extend income management measures across the country.
Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Community Services says the expansion of the income management will begin immediately in the Northern Territory, with most Australians still unaware that the measures can be applied nationally.
Batman candidate Ms Alex Bhathal said “there is nothing in the legislation to prevent the laws being rolled out across the nation, and this could affect people in the electorate of Batman, which has higher than average numbers of people on income support payments”.
"A change of Government, or a change of heart by this Government could see compulsory income quarantining applied anywhere in the country at any time," said Ms Bhathal.
"The Minister's claim that the introduction of indiscriminate mandatory income management is 'all about human dignity' is nothing short of hypocrisy, a look at the on-the-ground impacts of the policies on Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory show that this is anything but the case.
"There is no dignity in being subject to compulsory income management and having control of your day to day finances micromanaged by Centrelink," Senator Siewert concluded.
For more details, contact Alex Bhathal on 0431 933 546