Media Release
Embargoed: 12:01am Monday 17 December 2007
PAST POLICY DISASTERS MAKE SCROOGE HAPPY THIS CHRISTMAS “As we approach this Christmas it is a sobering reminder of past policy disasters that over 2000 households are likely to be directly affected by Centrelink breaches over the DecemberJanuary period. This means a suspension of all income for vulnerable families and individuals for up to 8 weeks.” said St Vincent de Paul Society National CEO, Dr. John Falzon.
“We know that in the quarter ending 31 December 2006, 3984 people were forced to live for 8 weeks without any income. Our members saw many of these households last year and delivered Christmas hampers and toys. We have already received calls from people breached this year and know that, while Centrelink offices are shut, our volunteers will again be delivering a little hope to households otherwise pushed to the margins of society. We will not let the Ebenezer Scrooge of past policy destroy Christmas for families this year.
“We welcome the new Labor Government’s commitment to reviewing the current welfare-towork arrangements for single mums, people with disabilities and unemployed people.
“Under the arrangements put in place by the former Government vulnerable people are exposed to punitive treatment as opposed to genuine incentives and supports to enable workforce and community participation. “In the last financial year 15,509 Australians were forced to live without any income for eight weeks. This is precisely the sort of injustice that we look forward to seeing rectified.
“We are looking forward to a comprehensive review of these arrangements, particularly in the context of the new Government’s Social Inclusion Strategy.
“This Strategy is something the St Vincent de Paul Society has been calling for since 2001. It was consistently rejected by the Coalition Government, even when it featured as the key recommendation of the Senate Poverty Inquiry Report in 2004.
“It’s time to look honestly at the structures that push people to the margins rather than demonizing and excluding people. Contact Dr John Falzon: 0421 332 247