Greens say Rudds' Binge Spending Call is Unwise

Greens Leader Bob Brown says that the Prime Minister's call for pensioners, carers and other low-income recipients to get out and spend their $10 billion budget allocation pre-Christmas is poorly framed advice.

"Mr Rudd sees Australia's lowest income earners as a short term economic tool rather than people deserving a break.  His call to binge this $10 billion responsibly is like advising people to overeat responsibly.  It would have been much wiser to have given the recipients a $30 per week pay increase over the next six months rather than this lump sum. 

"Failing that Mr Rudd should have counselled people to spend wisely and keep some for a rainy day.  If boosting employment is the aim, people should have been asked to invest in essential home repairs, energy
efficiency like fixing the hot water system or a holiday within Australia in the coming months.  These are much better ideas than a pre-Christmas binge on goods, especially if they are manufactured overseas," Senator Brown said.

"My advice  to people who decide to spend it all up-front is to try to ensure they buy Australian-made, and support local business including corner stores and local service providers," Senator Brown said.
  

Further Information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603