2023-04-27
The Greens are urging Labor to use the upcoming Budget to remove the Parenting Payment Single cut off and fully reinstate the eligibility age to 16, as recommended by the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce.
Lines attributable to Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters
“Budget savings should never have been made by pushing single parents into poverty. A decade on from this terrible decision it’s time to overturn it, and restore support to single parents until their kids turn 16.
“Single parenting doesn’t stop when a child turns 8, or 13, and neither should the Single Parenting Payment.
“The upcoming budget must fully reverse the Gillard government’s shameful decision to cut off Parenting Payment Single when kids turn 8, not tinker around the edges with a lift to 13 or 14.
“Poverty and homelessness are disproportionately impacting women and children. This is a crisis, and it demands an urgent government response.
“People voted for change at the last election, and an end to the sexist policies of the Morrison government. Those people deserve policies that will fix gendered economic inequality.
“If Labor are serious about taking a gendered lens to this budget, they could start by scrapping the Stage 3 tax cuts, which mostly benefit rich men, so we could fund things that will actually help the people who need it - like single mums."