Post by Banker on Feb 8, 2011 8:04:47 GMT 7
Just got this from their front page dated 7th February 2011.
Media Release 7 February 2011
Flood levy supported, but fears for welfare and service cuts
“Political opposition to the flood levy is wrong-headed and hard-hearted, said Maree O’Halloran, President of the National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN), who said for those paying the levy the most they would have to forgo was a weekend paper or two.
“The National Welfare Rights Network is a member of the Australian Council of Social Service. Today NWRN is at Parliament House in Canberra to lend its support to ACOSS and other community services and welfare agencies seeking to support the rebuilding and recovery operations in Queensland.
“We support a one-off, time limited and targeted flood levy that is wisely spent. We urge the Government to re-think the deep cuts to the National Rental Affordability Scheme which supports low income households. At the very least, it should commit to building the additional 15,000 dwellings when economic circumstances improve.
“There is very little fat in our social security and community services, so any additional cuts are likely to have major repercussions on the most disadvantaged individuals and families in the community. The Government should use the Tax Summit to look at addressing tax loopholes and tax evasion, according to 84 per cent of the 1,300 Australians surveyed in November 2010.
“The Government also needs to move ahead with a positive productivity and participation agenda. The priority is to ensure that people on Newstart Allowance and Youth Allowance receive increases of $50 pw as supported by the Henry Review and implicitly, the OECD. Reforming the income tests so that unemployed people and parents who take up part-time work do not suffer extremely high effective marginal rates of tax is also important. The Government must not cut disability pensions, or alter the rules to shift people with disabilities onto payments that are $130 a week less than the pension rate.
“It is reported that the Government is looking at Family Tax Benefits changes to address so-called “middle-class welfare”. Given the importance of family payments in assisting with the costs of raising children, a degree of caution is warranted. However, Welfare Rights recognises the unlimited nature of some of the existing rebates which provide considerable benefits to higher income earners.
“Welfare Rights wants to particularly pay tribute to the thousands of Centrelink staff across Australia who are helping to process the disaster payments and the social workers who are counselling families and individuals in distress.
Media Release 7 February 2011
Flood levy supported, but fears for welfare and service cuts
“Political opposition to the flood levy is wrong-headed and hard-hearted, said Maree O’Halloran, President of the National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN), who said for those paying the levy the most they would have to forgo was a weekend paper or two.
“The National Welfare Rights Network is a member of the Australian Council of Social Service. Today NWRN is at Parliament House in Canberra to lend its support to ACOSS and other community services and welfare agencies seeking to support the rebuilding and recovery operations in Queensland.
“We support a one-off, time limited and targeted flood levy that is wisely spent. We urge the Government to re-think the deep cuts to the National Rental Affordability Scheme which supports low income households. At the very least, it should commit to building the additional 15,000 dwellings when economic circumstances improve.
“There is very little fat in our social security and community services, so any additional cuts are likely to have major repercussions on the most disadvantaged individuals and families in the community. The Government should use the Tax Summit to look at addressing tax loopholes and tax evasion, according to 84 per cent of the 1,300 Australians surveyed in November 2010.
“The Government also needs to move ahead with a positive productivity and participation agenda. The priority is to ensure that people on Newstart Allowance and Youth Allowance receive increases of $50 pw as supported by the Henry Review and implicitly, the OECD. Reforming the income tests so that unemployed people and parents who take up part-time work do not suffer extremely high effective marginal rates of tax is also important. The Government must not cut disability pensions, or alter the rules to shift people with disabilities onto payments that are $130 a week less than the pension rate.
“It is reported that the Government is looking at Family Tax Benefits changes to address so-called “middle-class welfare”. Given the importance of family payments in assisting with the costs of raising children, a degree of caution is warranted. However, Welfare Rights recognises the unlimited nature of some of the existing rebates which provide considerable benefits to higher income earners.
“Welfare Rights wants to particularly pay tribute to the thousands of Centrelink staff across Australia who are helping to process the disaster payments and the social workers who are counselling families and individuals in distress.
