2017-08-14
The Senate has today voted against an increase to the woefully low Newstart and Youth Allowance payments by $110 a fortnight.
“I’m extremely disappointed that the Senate did not support my Bill to increase Newstart by $110 a fortnight. It is well recognised that the payment is too low”, Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
“I’m also very frustrated that the Labor party today sided with the Government to vote against an increase of the woefully low and stagnated Newstart and Youth Allowance payments by $110 fortnight.
“Both old parties have today refused to increase income support payments that have not gone up in real time for years. The social services sector and business have called for a meaningful increase to these payments so that people trying to find work aren’t forced into poverty.
“Just weeks ago Bill Shorten said ‘inequality kills hope’ when announcing that reducing disparity would be his defining mission if he won Government.
“Unfortunately all the ALP could do was commit to a review of Newstart and other payments. We don’t need a further review to know payments are too low, there have been reports and inquiries including two Senate inquiries that have found these payments are too low, how many more inquiries do they need?
“Meanwhile the Coalition not only refused to increase the woefully low payments, but continue to vilify people struggling to get by so that they can further erode the social safety net for budget savings.
“Increasing Newstart and Youth Allowance would alleviate pressure for the nation’s poorest and that money would be injected straight back into the economy, because it would be spent on essential goods and services.
“The Government and the ALP must commit to an increase to the Newstart and Youth Allowance payment if we are going to tackle growing inequality”.