Campaign Media Release FEDERAL LABOR MEMBER FOR BRADDON SID SIDEBOTTOM WELCOMES FEDERAL LABOR SUPPORT FOR BRADDON FAMILIES WITH TEENAGERS Federal Member for Braddon Sid Sidebottom today welcomed the Gillard Labor Government’s pledge to increase family support for families with teenagers. A re-elected Gillard Labor Government will increase the maximum payment rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A by more than $150 per fortnight for teenagers aged 16 to 18 years who are in school or an equivalent vocational qualification. This could see parents receiving up to an extra $4,000 a year per teenager, including an estimated 1,500 families in Braddon. Over time, families with younger children will benefit as those children turn 16. Under the old system – based on the days when 16 year olds often left school and the family home – payments are significantly cut or end altogether when a child turns 16. “I understand that local families are facing cost of living pressures and struggling with the family budget,” Sid Sidebottom said. “The Gillard Labor Government also understands that teenagers these days don’t tend to fly the nest until much later. “That’s why today’s announcement is designed to help parents meet the higher costs of older children and encourage more teenagers to stay at school.” Funding for this commitment will be fully offset over the forward estimates, consistent with the Gillard Labor Government’s commitment to return the budget to surplus by 2013, three years ahead of schedule.
TASMANIA - 2 AUGUST 2010 COMMUNICATIONS UNIT: Phone: (02) 9384 2220 | Fax: (02) 9264 2213 www.alp.org.au AUTHORISED N.MARTIN for the ALP, 5/9 Sydney Ave. Barton ACT.