Post by Banjo on Mar 22, 2011 20:39:05 GMT 7
Gillard fends off welfare revolt from the Left
Julia Gillard yesterday stared down a backbench revolt after five left-wing MPs broke ranks to argue against much tougher obligations for those on welfare.
As caucus yesterday backed the new welfare legislation, five of the 14 MPs who spoke on it condemned it as unfair and draconian.
The Left exercised their muscle, giving a strong signal that upcoming budget measures to slash the ballooning disability support pension would be politically difficult for the Prime Minister to deliver.
Under the tougher dole conditions outlined in the bill, the first time a jobseeker fails to attend a Job Services Australia interview Centrelink would put a temporary stop to dole payments. Payment would start again once the jobseeker contacted Centrelink and confirmed they would attend their rescheduled appointment. On a first failure, full back pay would be provided.
At present, a first failure to attend does not necessarily result in any penalty, only a warning.
On the second failure, payments would be immediately stopped and there would be no back pay, although payments would restart immediately from the time the jobseeker attended an appointment.
The new rules will apply from July 1 and will allow employment services providers to report jobseekers who have failed to attend appointments directly to Centrelink.
Ms Gillard and four ministers spoke in favour of the laws yesterday, arguing that people needed to properly "engage" with the system to gain work or training opportunities.
Ms Gillard told her colleagues she was a "strong supporter" of the legislation, arguing economic growth provided an opportunity to get people off welfare and into work.
"It would not be the Labor way to not leverage opportunity," she said.
Employment Minister Chris Evans gave an impassioned speech about third-generation poverty, arguing there were entire suburbs that were no-go zones because of entrenched welfare dependence and this situation had to be reversed by Labor.
The left-wing Labor MP who heads the economics caucus committee, Sharon Grierson spoke out strongly against the new measures as did other left-wingers including Doug Cameron, Jill Hall, Claire Moore and Stephen Jones.
Ms Grierson suggested the new policy should be trialled in just some areas to see whether it would work before it was rolled out across the country.
www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gillard-fends-off-welfare-revolt-from-the-left/story-fn59niix-1226026372700
Julia Gillard yesterday stared down a backbench revolt after five left-wing MPs broke ranks to argue against much tougher obligations for those on welfare.
As caucus yesterday backed the new welfare legislation, five of the 14 MPs who spoke on it condemned it as unfair and draconian.
The Left exercised their muscle, giving a strong signal that upcoming budget measures to slash the ballooning disability support pension would be politically difficult for the Prime Minister to deliver.
Under the tougher dole conditions outlined in the bill, the first time a jobseeker fails to attend a Job Services Australia interview Centrelink would put a temporary stop to dole payments. Payment would start again once the jobseeker contacted Centrelink and confirmed they would attend their rescheduled appointment. On a first failure, full back pay would be provided.
At present, a first failure to attend does not necessarily result in any penalty, only a warning.
On the second failure, payments would be immediately stopped and there would be no back pay, although payments would restart immediately from the time the jobseeker attended an appointment.
The new rules will apply from July 1 and will allow employment services providers to report jobseekers who have failed to attend appointments directly to Centrelink.
Ms Gillard and four ministers spoke in favour of the laws yesterday, arguing that people needed to properly "engage" with the system to gain work or training opportunities.
Ms Gillard told her colleagues she was a "strong supporter" of the legislation, arguing economic growth provided an opportunity to get people off welfare and into work.
"It would not be the Labor way to not leverage opportunity," she said.
Employment Minister Chris Evans gave an impassioned speech about third-generation poverty, arguing there were entire suburbs that were no-go zones because of entrenched welfare dependence and this situation had to be reversed by Labor.
The left-wing Labor MP who heads the economics caucus committee, Sharon Grierson spoke out strongly against the new measures as did other left-wingers including Doug Cameron, Jill Hall, Claire Moore and Stephen Jones.
Ms Grierson suggested the new policy should be trialled in just some areas to see whether it would work before it was rolled out across the country.
www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gillard-fends-off-welfare-revolt-from-the-left/story-fn59niix-1226026372700