2016-07-01
The Australian Greens today re-affirmed their continued opposition to major Coalition cuts to FTB, including cuts to families supported by the ALP.
Australian Greens spokesperson on families, Senator Rachel Siewert, said:
“The Coalition has been attacking the income support system, and family tax benefits particularly, for years now. We continue to oppose these unfair, unnecessary cuts that the Coalition is trying to impose.
“As part of our fully costed election platform, we have included reversing these Coalition cuts, and cuts we opposed which the ALP has helped the Coalition pass through the Parliament.
“These are cuts that hurt single parents and low income households. Raising kids – especially teenagers – can be expensive. Anyone with kids knows that particularly when they’re teenagers, it can be some of the most expensive years as a parent. It’s when growing kids are raiding the fridge, developing more outside interests and school supplies can get costly,
“We do not want low income kids to have to miss out on participating in community activities and having a fulfilling life because the old parties are trying to plug up their budgets.
“The sector has called for reform of the family payments system, and we support a review to ensure a system that is targeted and fair. But we will not support ad-hoc Coalition cuts that hurt the most vulnerable families in our society”.
By committing to reversing these cuts, the Greens will reverse the following Coalition cuts which are either budgeted or legislated:
- Cuts of up to $2,602 for a single parent with a 13 year old child relying on income support
- Cuts of up to $$4,117 for a couple with a joint income of $80,000, and two children aged 14 and 16
- Cuts of up to $324 for parents of large families