When voters celebrated the end of the John Howard years, many hoped the Rudd Labor government would usher in a new day of social inclusion, justice and fairness.
The 2010/11 budget, delivered by treasurer Wayne Swan on May 11, dashes these hopes and shows the need to build a pro-people alternative to both Howard's Liberals and Rudd's Labor.
Before the budget release, the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) urged the government to increase payments to the more than 600,000 Australians currently unemployed.
鈥淭he Newstart allowance is less than half the minimum wage鈥, ACOSS chief executive officer, Clare Martin, told the May 11 Government News. 鈥淲e are calling on Government to lift the single base unemployment payments by $45 per week.鈥
Unfortunately Swan's budget ignored this suggestion.
鈥淭he Henry review [of taxation] notes that over the last three years annual rents have risen at an annual rate of 10%, yet rent assistance has increased by only 2.7%鈥, said Martin. 鈥淲e have asked for a 30% increase in rent assistance for low-income households, which is about $15 per week.鈥
Unfortunately Swan's budget ignored this suggestion too.
Labor, just like the Coalition, puts 鈥渇iscal responsibility鈥 before any sense of social justice. We at 麻豆传媒 Weekly, however, agree more with the following comments from Frank Quinlan from Catholic Social Services Australia.
鈥淚f a 'fiscally responsible Budget' can increase spending on Australia's representatives in elite sports by $237 million, it is hard to imagine that there is not room for our unemployed to eat a little better, or for social services to shorten their waiting lists鈥, he wrote in the May 20 Homepage Daily.
GLW promises to continue the struggle for a world where decent unemployment benefits are not considered fiscally irresponsible. Please help us campaign for an alternative to Labor and the Liberals by making a donation to our 2010 fighting fund.
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