2017-12-08
A new report by the University of Sydney that shows a link between income management and lower birthweights and school attendance must be carefully considered by the Government, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
“The longstanding excuse for implementing income management by successive Governments is that children need to be protected, well now we have evidence that there is a strong correlation between reduced birthweights, school attendance and income management.
“The report shows birthweight dropped on average by 100 grams, meanwhile school attendance fell an average of 4 per cent in of communities after the introduction of income management. The study found that income management has definitely had no positive impact on children's wellbeing.
“If the Government cares about disadvantaged kids they would go back to the drawing board. We need community-led wrap services to support disadvantaged families.
“Compulsory income management does not work, it should be dumped in the NT and the Government should abandon the cashless welfare card. I hope this new research will encourage Labor to rethink its support for the continuation of the cashless welfare card trials in East Kimberley and Ceduna”.