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Post by voiceofthevoiceless on Jan 23, 2014 6:36:46 GMT 7
My local Labor MP just wrote back to me saying she would be opposing it and shes sure her colleagues will be doing the same. So thats a start. Keep emailing your local members people
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Post by pactrpo on Jan 23, 2014 6:55:46 GMT 7
i used to carry my PCC behind my smartrider on my lanyard for when i use PT but ive took it out cos im ashamed for it to be seen. The way Australia is going anyone who spots it and if ya not old or look disabled, you will prob get bullied or be written about badly on some of these forums or comments sections in the news papers.
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Post by Banjo on Jan 23, 2014 7:39:05 GMT 7
Jobs groups oppose Abbott welfare cuts TWO of the peak bodies representing job agencies will today strongly oppose Abbott government plans to tighten eligibility for welfare or reduce payment rates, arguing the strategy will do nothing to get dependent people into work. Employment services peak bodies Jobs Australia and Disability Employment Australia say the government should instead be looking at helping more into work to reduce welfare reliance. The organisations say the drivers behind the growth in welfare are largely demographic, with an ageing population the greatest factor. www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/jobs-groups-oppose-abbott-welfare-cuts/story-fn59niix-1226808050715#
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Post by Banjo on Jan 23, 2014 7:52:59 GMT 7
My local Labor MP just wrote back to me saying she would be opposing it and shes sure her colleagues will be doing the same. So thats a start. Keep emailing your local members people Only one thing gets the attention of most politicians and that's the likelihood of their personal unemployment. Many people who say that nothing can be done against governments have never tried to personally intervene. When I go on about writing, phoning,emailing and personal contact the majority just say "it's a waste of time" or "that's too hard" and give up. Boy, do the politicians love this. A couple of years back the Senate changed legislation on portability because of people like us, it wasn't through any concern about pensioners who wanted to travel, they did not give a shit, it was because of all the noise we made. Many who started this board have got what they want and it's hard to get their attention now, that's human nature, I struggle to fire up on some days myself, but that's old age. If you guys are genuinely concerned about impending pension changes then you're the ones who are going to have to do something about it, we have social media set up to complain about this that hardly anyone uses, why not try this for starters?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2014 7:59:41 GMT 7
can see these getting through as Labor is just as heartless. Yes labor has treated us pity badly , but Abbott and Andrews probably want to try to outdo them and treat us even worse. l hate the way LAbor pretends they care about DSP's and people on welfare and the underprivileged, look what they did to the single mums, atleast the liberals are honest about it and admit they don't give a stuff about people on welfare, except for the old age pensioners which they will leave alone
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Post by voiceofthevoiceless on Jan 23, 2014 9:28:36 GMT 7
Heres something else my local MP forwarded to me. Gave me some reassurance anyway that this is not yet a done deal.
Subject: JENNY MACKLIN - MEDIA RELEASE - ABBOTT GOVERNMENT FLAGS MASSIVE CUTS TO VULNERABLE AUSTRALIANS - TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2014
JENNY MACKLIN MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND PAYMENTS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DISABILITY REFORM
MEMBER FOR JAGAJAGA
ABBOTT GOVERNMENT FLAGS MASSIVE CUTS TO VULNERABLE AUSTRALIANS
The Abbott Government has today flagged massive cuts to pension payments that would hurt some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews indicated several times this morning that the rate and indexation of the pension needs to be slashed, and that there will be more cuts to come:
“There’s a growing gap between the amount of money that people get on pensions and the amount of money they get on, for example, Newstart. That’s because they’re indexed at different rates and it creates a perverse disincentive for people to want to get onto, for example, the disability support pension.”
- Kevin Andrews, ABC AM, 21 January 2014
“The Commission of Audit has a remit to look at virtually anything.”
- Kevin Andrews, ABC News 24, 21 January 2014
Any attack on pension payments by this government is a broken promise to the Australian people.
Our pension system is a vital safety net for Australians with disability, carers and the elderly. Millions of aged pensioners and carers are worried they will be the next people to be hurt by the Prime Minister’s attack on pension payments.
The Abbott Government has already moved to cut the Schoolkids Bonus, the Income Support Bonus and the Low-Income Superannuation Contribution, which will leave millions of Australians worse off. But they still want to cut some more, and it’s people living on low incomes who are still on their chopping block.
At the same time the Government is flagging cuts to the pension, they are also planning to introduce an extravagant Paid Parental Leave scheme that will give $75,000 to wealthy people to have a baby. It shows how twisted their priorities are.
This government and this Minister have absolutely no credibility when it comes to improving Australia’s social security system.
The last time they were in government, the Coalition oversaw a blowout in the rate at which people were granted the Disability Support Pension.
It was Labor that took the tough decisions in government to support people from welfare into work, overseeing a drop by more than 22 percentage points in the rate at which people were granted the DSP.
Labor’s objective has always been to get people with disability into paid, meaningful work – to ensure every Australian has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
It was also Labor that better targeted the family payments system to those that needed it, abolished the baby bonus and means tested the private health insurance rebate – all sensible reforms to keep our welfare system sustainable for the future.
By contrast, the Howard Government squandered the benefits of the mining boom on middle class welfare.
The Abbott Government’s only answer to welfare reform has been to start cutting the pension.
Only Labor can be trusted to deliver a fair and sustainable welfare system that provides the necessary support for those who need it most.
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Post by newtodsp on Jan 23, 2014 9:56:33 GMT 7
Thanks Banjo, you are right. We have to stand up and show this is unacceptable to us. Otherwise we will be kicked to the curb. So far we have been lucky the disability payment is linked to the old age pension, rather than newstart. But we have to maintain the rage! Takes a lot of energy I know.
Here is an email i sent to my local member, Adam Bandt and to J. Macklin as well, anyone can copy this and send to their MP - also is there a single email address we can use to spam all the mps?
Subject:Welfare changes, cuts and tightening up of Disability Pension and Newstart
Dear Jenny,
I am interested in knowing whether you will be supporting or opposing these proposed changes by the Abbott government. How strongly will you speak out against these attacks on the most vulnerable?
I have multiple disabilities and will not be able to afford my non PBS medication which allows me to shower for myself and feed myself if I am put onto Newstart, or if indexation or the level of payment is cut. I can't imagine how humiliating it will be if this happens to me. The disabled are already second class citizens in this country, what are your views on tightening up the eligibility or any of the cuts proposed? I am left feeling very anxious by the current proposals.
We, the disabled, are Australians too. We deserve to live in dignity in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
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Post by pactrpo on Jan 23, 2014 10:02:24 GMT 7
Oh frig im not having a good day today. Anway ill would be happy if someone made a email up that we could send to tn he freeloading polititions. Im hopeless at writing things like this. Else i would do it alot. Trouble with stringing things like this together anx d my loservittus kicks in.
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Post by scallywag on Jan 23, 2014 10:08:11 GMT 7
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Post by Banjo on Jan 23, 2014 10:10:39 GMT 7
An Abbott government MP has accused dole recipients of trying to "screw the system", saying they are too self-interested to bother attending community meetings.
Mr O'Dowd told a community meeting on Monday night in Capella, north-east Queensland: "You won't get anyone on the dole coming to these sort of meetings, because they don't care about the community, they care about themselves and how they can screw the system". Advertisement The meeting was attended by about a dozen Capella residents. In audio of the meeting heard by Fairfax Media, Mr O'Dowd also argued that too many Australians were exploiting the social security system, and that something needed to be done to stop welfare cheats. He recalled a conversation he had had recently with billionaire Gina Rinehart. "[Rinehart's] biggest whinge to me was, she said, 'Ken, you blokes in Canberra have got to stop the welfare system," Mr O'Dowd told the community meeting. "There is [sic] 60 per cent of Australians on some sort of welfare payment. [Rinehart] said, 'They can't be all that badly off'." Mr O'Dowd, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews and Ms Rinehart have all been contacted to respond. Mr O'Dowd's comments are unlikely to be welcomed by Mr Abbott or Mr Andrews, who have begun a review of Australia's welfare system and are trying to reassure Australians that despite cracking down on welfare they believe in maintaining a social safety net. The subject of welfare reform is close to the heart of Mr Abbott. In his 2009 book, Battlelines, he wrote that one of the Howard government's most significant achievements was "slowing the rise in the number of people claiming the disability pension". But the Prime Minister also understands the dangerous politics surrounding any changes to welfare payments. Aware of the delicate politics of welfare reform, Mr Andrews has been trying to prepare Australians for a gradual and unthreatening review of the system. He has ruled out touching the age pension, but admits the government has Newstart unemployment benefits and the disability support pension in its cross-hairs. Maree O'Halloran, President of the National Welfare Rights Network said Mr O'Dowd's comments were "unhelpful and untrue". "There is no place for ignorance and demeaning stereotypes about people who are unemployed," Ms O'Halloran said. "It's stereotypes like this that prevent people getting a fair go from employers. "People who are unemployed are everywhere: they are our children, our neighbours, our partners and parents and grandparents". Read more: www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/government-mp-says-people-on-dole-dont-care-about-the-community-just-themselves-20140123-31ajk.html#ixzz2rBggpIjM
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Post by Banjo on Jan 23, 2014 10:12:04 GMT 7
That's what we're up against, every now and then the smile slips and you you see the truth behind the rhetoric.
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Post by newtodsp on Jan 23, 2014 10:21:02 GMT 7
On facebook i subscribe to the PWD people with Disability Australia page, and they are looking for an articulate person to go onto the project ie tv show on 10 about the welfare reforms, AussieinUSA how do you feel about this?
Articulate? On DSP? Got disability? The Project is looking for strong opinion abt welfare reform - Pls call the PWDA office 9370-3100 - ask for Craig Andrews - Communications
I found the free call number 1800 422 015 I was going to call it just to let them know how I feel about welfare reform, if they are speaking out about it, and what their plans are, might not achieve much but at least it shows we are vocal, with more voices they might be more likely to do something, I encourage others to call too!
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Post by scallywag on Jan 23, 2014 10:23:10 GMT 7
That's what we're up against, every now and then the smile slips and you you see the truth behind the rhetoric. Mr O'Dowd told a community meeting on Monday night in Capella, north-east Queensland: "You won't get anyone on the dole coming to these sort of meetings, because they don't care about the community, they care about themselves and how they can screw the system" "There is [sic] 60 per cent of Australians on . some sort of welfare payment[Rinehart] said, 'They can't be all that badly off'." I wonder how many that went to the meeting are receiving "some sort of welfare payment" other than the dole.
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Post by Banjo on Jan 23, 2014 11:36:30 GMT 7
Out of the whole 12 that turned up to hear him? hmmm...
There's some strange people in the bush, an ex-inlaw managed a large property in the middle of nowhere and the terms of his employment included a house and all the sheep he could eat. He shot foxes for extra money but still received income supplement from the government.
Couldn't convince him he was being shafted.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2014 13:54:58 GMT 7
What makes me angry is the are only going after the people at the bottom who can least afford to lose their welfare the DSP's and newstarters, while they are leaving middle class welfare, asset rich old age pensioners and the wealthy with all their tax advoidance schemes alone. They are even still going ahead with handing out $75,000 paternity leave to women earning $150,000 per year. its like they deliberately want to hurt those at the bottom to make those already well off even better off. If they were making everyone across all sections of society pay then it wouldn't be so bad. All they talk about is cutting the DSP and newstart and not a single word about creating new jobs and helping people get jobs.
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