2018-01-29
News that in 2014 Tony Abbott considered banning income support for all Australians under 30 shows just how callous and out of touch his Government was, and it is obvious they did not understand the harsh reality of trying to find employment, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
“The 2014/15 budget from the Abbott Government was already breathlessly harsh towards vulnerable people who need support, to think they wanted to go any further is truly unfathomable.
“This measure would have led to increased homelessness, poverty and crime in this country, and a further increase in inequality.
“Unfortunately we still see this Government following a similar agenda of targeting our social safety net and trying to make savings from the vulnerable.
"There is a skewed focus on clawing back savings from our social safety net, which is already woefully inadequate and resulting in Australians falling below the poverty line.
“The Government needs to shake off Abbott & Co’s ideology and stop going after those that rely on our social safety net, and instead look at revenue raising options that have been continually proposed”.