2018-06-20
The Australian Greens congratulate local councils around Australia for supporting a motion to increase Newstart at their recent national conference.
“Local councils are the closest level of Government to the community and they are seeing firsthand the devastating impacts that the current rate of Newstart is having on people trying to find work.
“An increase to the payment would have an immediate positive impact on individual and community wellbeing as well as the local economy which local councils clearly understand, it is a shame that the Turnbull Government doesn’t get it.
“The broad church of local councils, social service organisations and economists who are calling for an increase to Newstart continues to grow.
“I urge the Turnbull government to drop the ideological opposition to an increase so that Australians don’t fall into poverty when they are out of work”.