Increase Newstart to $400, urges Labor MP.

[Deleted]

Increase Newstart to $400, urges Labor MP.

Newstart should be increased by more than $100 a week to stop people being pushed into poverty, a federal Labor MP has argued. Western Sydney Labor MP Mike Freelander is urging colleagues to “show a bit of guts” and campaign for the significant increase to $400 a week, up from $275.

Dr Freelander says the Morrison government is consigning people to the far outreaches of society with little prospect of improving their lives.

“I have discussed it with some of the welfare groups in my electorate and if they (people on Newstart) are going to be able to rent a room in a boarding house and provide for food and transport costs, that is the figure that we need to be looking at,” he told The Guardian on Wednesday.

Another Labor MP, Nick Champion, told the publication a $75 a week boost is necessary, mirroring the rate advocated by the Australian Council of Social Service.

The government’s changes to the pension income test has revived calls for an increase to its unemployment support.

But the Coalition has flatly rejected the suggestion, repeating its long-held argument that the best form of welfare is a job.

thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/07/17/newstart-labor/?fbclid=IwAR3YjQIAoMUMqJQmql6YAwaotVSlAsXQJQ7G3__jj25zQ5P6rH106dEWs3o

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Better late than never I suppose! What....labor had now decided it doesn't need a review? I call it...... Bandwagon. Cheers bear

[Deleted]

Young People Are Suffering, It’s Time To Work Together To Raise Newstart
by RACHEL SIEWERT 18 JULY 2019

This Monday, the Senate will debate the Greens private member’s bill to increase Newstart and Youth Allowance by $75 a week. It’s the fifth bill to increase Newstart I have introduced in my 14 years in Parliament.

Private member’s bills can be powerful, which is one of the reasons the major parties are expending so much energy trying to justify why they can’t support my bill instead of acknowledging that people on Newstart deserve more support.

RELATED
What Good Are Billions Of Surplus Dollars When People Are Starving?
In 2012 I introduced, and the Parliament passed, a bill that helped address petrol sniffing, the Low Aromatic Fuel Bill 2012. The bill that bought us marriage equality was a private member’s bill too.

Busting The Two Party System
The myth that the Australian Parliament can only work within a two party system and that things only get done when they come out of a big party machine should be consigned to the dust bin. It is well recognised that Newstart is too low (even Barnaby Joyce thinks so) and the Parliament should be co-operating to address this appalling situation.

Politicians cannot continue to obfuscate and pretend that their position in Parliament, whether they are in Government, Opposition or on the crossbench is not powerful. A vote in Parliament sends a message and every single vote is a show of solidarity. Politicians should never forget that.

Every single time I have put an increase to Newstart to a vote in a motion or a bill over the last decade, it has been part of the community campaign to increase Newstart.

That’s why I will keep introducing private member’s bills and putting motions to Parliament until we get an increase to Newstart. This is not a political game, this is about people’s lives.

Do we really need to go through the evidence that stacks up year-on-year on the desperate need for an increase to Newstart, again?

Despite being the second wealthiest country in the world, poverty rates in Australia have remained entrenched at a high level, with three million people living below the poverty line, including more than 700,000 children. People in our community are denied dignity when they are forced to live on $40 a day for years and years, because the jobs are simply not there. Older Australians who are out of work will retire into poverty and housing insecurity because of the difficulties they face getting back into work.

Raising Newstart Helps Our Most Vulnerable
That young people are suffering from depression and anxiety from being targeted by robodebt and being on the punitive jobactive program, or going without meals while they study, despite working two or three jobs at a time?

Newstart has to be increased urgently by at least $75 a week.

We then have to stop treating income support payments like a political football. An independent process for setting pensions and allowances is well overdue and the Greens will continue to campaign — as we have for decades — to ensure that people who rely on these payments are treated fairly by our income support system.

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Here's Proof That Raising Newstart Is A Great Idea That Would Help Literally Everyone
We’ve had almost 25 years to “talk” or have a “review” about this. During that time we have managed to increase the aged pension as was needed, and now the deeming rate. But not Newstart. A cynic might think that certain groups are more valuable electorally.

Let’s step back and take a look at the “welfare” being handed out to big business and mining companies through tax cuts and subsidies. Or the tax cuts that benefit the wealthy the most that Labor and the Coalition just passed.

They have tried to justify these tax handouts as economic stimulus, but if they really wanted to boost the economy they’d be giving more to those who need it the most, knowing they’d spend it straight away in the local economy on the basics of life… rather than another investment property.

It’s often hard to tell the difference between the major parties’ policies, but Labor are now finally feeling the heat when it comes it the abysmally low rate of Newstart. Those in Parliament who support an increase to Newstart should vote for their professed values.

When the people in Parliament work for their community, we can do powerful things, together.

Rachel Siewert is a federal Senator for Western Australia and the Greens’ spokesperson for Indigenous Issues, Family, Ageing and Community Services, and Mental Health.

junkee.com/newstart-greens-labor-bill/214436

[nomadic]

No chance of rise under these *****'s. Just been reading about Morrison denying it. How good are jobs he asked in his crap speech on it? He truly scares me with his evil religious beliefs. Even the usual idiot Barnaby Joyce is calling for a rise. But these nutter B's are mired in some superstitious religious belief that all welfare is evil. Until he is voted out no hope of a rise. One can hope nature will make it earlier than that. Heart attack comes to mind. Get your voodoo dolls out perhaps. I'm even too upset to growl over what I hear them saying on the denial of it. These are not human beings in any way. Crime rising all the time and MUST only get worse when people are living like 200 years ago in England and then being shipped to a penal colony.

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Private Member's Bills have a habit of causing upsets in controversial areas of policy. Especially where backbenchers; who are generally doing the right thing and listening to their constituents, are concerned.

Most media seem to be suggesting back bench revolt is in the offing in this regard at least. Get this over the line and a tsunami may be the result. Here's hoping anyhow; cheers bear.

[latindancer]

I can see pitchforks in the future unless our system changes. There are very compelling reasons for it to, but Morrison is too stupid and self-righteous to see them. www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2gO4DKVpa8

[paddy]

Jul 18, 2019 7:26:15 GMT 7 bear said:

Better late than never I suppose! What....labor had now decided it doesn't need a review? I call it...... Bandwagon. Cheers bear

It is likely their left wing MPs supporting the raise but Labor's right wing that was for that dull review BS.