You can do it Jim, you can lift millions out of poverty this budget. I believe in you?

Ahh, Jimmy Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim, Muppet Treasure Island is such a amazing adaptation on the classic novel – pirates, romance, travel and song. Jim here is the kid, wishing for a better live beyond poverty and servitude, taking a risky opportunity to escape that and sail the seven seas.

Pirating is different these days in Australia, as a country we became quite adept at it before streaming services, and with their fragmentation and price rises it’s on the rise once more. I wonder if the average Jim would prefer to know of welfare recipients pirating their favourite shows or spending that $10 on Amazon Prime? Or, as is often the case, they’d rather neither and tell us to sell our PCs, cancel our internet, give up any entertainment and spend that time writing our resumes on the computer at the local library and applying for jobs that don’t want us.

It was quite a week for you numbers guys, Jim. You got your inflation figures in, and they weren’t great and weren’t bad. What stuck out for me is rent was still going up much more than other essentials, and essentials were still going up more than the less essential things in life.

The inflation figures and ensuing panic on HECS debts (though not as bad as last year!) got you to say you might do something about HECS indexation, oh and also about paying final year uni students for their labor on placements so they don’t have to waste the first three years of a degree because they can’t afford to live for those final subjects.

2024: Rental Affordability Snapshot Australians are facing a rental market that has never been less affordable. The 2024 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed rental listings across Australia and found that affordability has crashed to record lows. Out of 45,115 rental listings, we found that: 289 rentals (0.6%) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage 89 rentals (0.2%) were affordable for a person on the Age Pension 31 rentals (0.1%) were affordable for a person on the Disability Support Pension 3 rentals, (0%) all sharehouses, were affordable for a person on JobSeeker 0 rentals (0%) were affordable for a person on Youth Allowance. In response to the findings, Anglicare Australia is calling on the Government to return to directly funding and providing housing itself, instead of leaving housing to the private sector. Anglicare Australia is also calling on the Government to wind back landlord tax concessions.

Much needed, but of course they don’t solve the problem of all the people who can’t afford to live and rent while they study because Youth Allowance and Austudy are so low and there’s no affordable rentals for people trying to better their chances of employment as you keep asking us to do, through study.

Then there’s the “Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee” that you put together last year, asked them for their recommendation, a key one was raising JobSeeker and other related payments to 90% of the aged pension, which you said was too much so threw $20/week at those people, and they’ve come back with the same figure this year, to which you’ve replied that ppl should be happy about last year’s response and that you can’t find everything hey?

Of course you “can’t fund every good idea” but there’s a difference between saying you can’t fund a good idea and saying you don’t want to fund an increase to welfare payments above the poverty line that would see benefits for all in the community – from ensuring people can afford to feed themselves, to decreases in crime that was seen during the Covid supplements, and might help that “social cohesion” you keep banging on about.

It does sting when you boast about a surplus, or even if you don’t boast about it but just say that people’s health and welfare now is not as important as your other choices – to keep a surplus to later, or any time you announce money for submarines, or  we remember that the stage three tax cuts, while you modified them, still favour those on higher incomes to the tune of a quarter of a JobSeeker’s annual payment. An amount that they would have been better off by last year if you’d implemented your committee’s recommendations.

So Jim, you still have two weeks to play around with your numbers, and my people still have two weeks to try to get in your ears about welfare recipients lives and our ability to participate in society being worth funding. Maybe the image of the older lady being arrested over Canesten and frozen pizza is one that might make you think people being able to afford their groceries is a good thing?

Or Mel being reminded that your other lil numbers guy, Andrew Leigh of the gold plated cheese platter, used her story about not being able to afford to eat and getting scurvy while in opposition to call for a raise on Jobseeker, but then won’t do anything to help her now and instead posts cute cartoons about evidence based policy and scurvy on Twitter, while we try to remind him that there was a great experiment on a no-strings livable basic income here in Australia with the Covid supplement and the removal of obligations in 2020. A period that saw improvements in property crime rates, because people could afford to live.

So, you can do it, Jim. You can raise JobSeeker and other welfare payments. You can raise them above the poverty line, anything less is just a reminder that some people are worth leaving behind, and you don’t want to leave anyone behind do you Jim?

 

 

National JobSeeker Week Of Action Targets Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth ‘No One Left Behind’ Must Include People In Poverty

National Week of Action (April 15-21): Grassroots anti-poverty groups and people on JobSeeker and other payments will be contacting and visiting their MPs to call for payments to be raised out of poverty in the May federal budget

Grassroots anti-poverty groups across the country, including Anti-Poverty Network SA, Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union, Antipoverty Centre, and Anti-Poverty Network Qld, will be mobilising the community to pressure Labor MPs on the disgracefully-low rate of JobSeeker, as part of a national Week of Action from April 15-21.

The week of lobbying, which will include job-seekers and supporters contacting and visiting their MPs, will finish with an action outside the office of Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth, calling on her to ensure people in poverty are not left behind in next month’s federal budget.

Quote from Anti-Poverty Network SA: “Almost two years ago, the Albanese government was elected on a promise to ‘Leave No One Behind’, but people on JobSeeker have been largely forgotten.

Last year’s federal budget saw an insulting and miserable $2.86-a-day rise to JobSeeker. And last month’s pathetic indexation – a 97-cents-a-day increase – will do little for people struggling with skyrocketing rents, and other soaring living costs. JobSeeker, at $54-a-day – $375-a-week – will still be $32-a-day – $224-a-week – below the Henderson poverty-line of $86-a-day.

The Albanese government is dreaming, if it thinks its work is done: this year’s Federal Budget needs to finish the job, by lifting JobSeeker, and other payments, out of poverty.”

Quote from Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union: “Since the last Budget’s chaotic display, we have seen almost nothing of the Minister. Amanda Rishworth has remained hidden, shying away from the poverty crisis and offering no plan to meaningfully help those in poverty.

This is an issue that needs a real solution, a significant raise to income support payments has long been accepted as necessary, if not inevitable. So where is the Minister’s plan? Why, so far into this government’s term, do we have no idea what Amanda Rishworth intends to do? In absence of any word from the Minister we have to assume the answer is nothing.”

Quote from Antipoverty Centre: “The welfare system is killing people. Deepening poverty, punitive “mutual” obligations, Centrelink processing times and baseless so-called debts are destroying lives at the same time we are squeezed by landlords and cost of living hikes. 

A budget that leaves people in poverty is not a responsible budget. The fastest and most effective thing the government can do to support the people who need it most is immediately increase Centrelink payments above the poverty line and stop “mutual” obligations. They have money to pay for tax cuts for the rich and weapons of war, there is no excuse for neglecting the poor.”

Quote from the Anti-Poverty Network of Queensland: “This isn’t even a debate anymore! We have known for years that Jobseeker as well as all other Centrelink payments are far below the poverty line.

Back in 2020 we saw how when they raised Jobseeker during the height of the pandemic many people’s lives improved. They didn’t have to choose between rent or medicine.

The fact that they then decreased it and has not been raised by any substantial figure shows that they are intentionally keeping people in poverty.“

Join the Mini-rally outside office of Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth on Friday April 19, 1pm, at 232 Main South Road, Morphett Vale, SA

 

Five weeks til the Budget, are you trying to dash our hopes already Jim?

You are the federal treasurer. You can pull the lever at any time to reduce homelessness and poverty. However, it means you won't be able to do a press conference boasting about a budget surplusWhat do you do?
Jim Chalmers’ Trolley Problem

It’s five weeks until Jim Chalmer’s hands down the budget that Labor will likely try to ride into the next election. “Cost of living” is the buzz phrase still, and he and his colleagues are drip feeding us what to expect, and also what NOT to expect.

This week Jimmy made sure to play down any hopes for anything significant for those on welfare. We’ll likely see a repeat of the $125 ish a quarter energy bill relief (or we won’t see it it goes straight to the companies) because your bill without it would be a pre-election nightmare for Labor. Plus it’s also been a tool for them to fudge the inflation figures – if the discount is applied BEFORE it gets to our inbox, it doesn’t count as inflation, right? Even though the gov still pays for it, the company still pockets it, and everyone gets to grin and shake hands.

Of course, the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee is yet to report back, as they are to do at least a whole two weeks before each budget. But last year’s key recommendation of raising Job Seeker to 90% of the pension rate was ignored, so I’m not holding my breath for their recommendations – but I’m curious will they go as hard as last year? Or, will they not and say why bother?

Also, where are those backbenches who signed the call for a significant increase to Job Seeker? Were they bought off for $20 a week too?

Welfare Dependency is a Good Thing, Actually

Two alieds in regal gear with text Why does the working class, the larger of the two classes, not simply eat the rich?

Yeah, The Poors are cranky again, this time because a “think tank” has decided there’s too many of us on welfare and that it’s a bad thing. They also decided that the NDIS is welfare and double counted people on that and on support payments like the disability support pension and Job Seeker, so aside from their numbers being dodgy, they seem to think that people on the NDIS are the ones suckling that cash cow, whether really it’s the  businesses and “not for profits” making money off disabled people’s need to get out of bed or shower who are raking it in.

Mel argued today that welfare dependency isn’t actually a thing, and she has a point, but I’d like to also argue that being dependent on welfare is a good thing, actually, and the safety net should be more reliable and available to more people.

People shouldn’t be waiting over three months from applying for the aged pension or youth allowance to see any money. They shouldn’t be having their payment suspended due to an error from a JSP, they shouldn’t have to spend hours on hold if they can even get on hold to Centrelink to get their entitlements reinstated.

Welfare SHOULD be dependable as a safety net. For those who can’t work, for those who are sick or disabled or aged or caring for themselves or others. We should be able to access it in a timely fashion when circumstances arise like unemployment or a new baby. Welfare dependence is a good thing, actually, and I wish Australia’s welfare system was more dependable.

 

Greens MP boosts Lake Macquarie City Council candidates

Abigail Boyd and Bryce HamGreens MP Abigail Boyd boosts Lake Macquarie City Council candidates

Lake Macquarie Greens have launched environmental activist and campaigner Bryce Ham as candidate for North Ward of Lake Macquarie City Council along with veteran Greens campaigner Jane Oakley as candidate for East Ward, who has long advocated for improved pedestrian safety across Lake Macquarie neighbourhoods.

Their campaign for Council received a double boost from Greens NSW MP Abigail Boyd who covers Hunter, Central Coast and Newcastle in the NSW Parliament.

Greens NSW MP for the Hunter, Central Coast and Newcastle Abigail Boyd said:

“From the local to the global scale, Bryce Ham already has impressive experience as an effective activist and campaigner.  Bryce is committed to a long-term vision for Lake Macquarie that will maintain this area as one of the most desirable places to live in NSW including through sustainable transport options, protection of our environment, and public infrastructure development that puts residents first.”

“Bryce’s commitment to a safe and stable future included his bravery in joining The People’s Blockade of Newcastle Port last November. Bryce and over 100 fellow protesters were fully exonerated by the Magistrate’s Court, who described them as valuable contributors to society who have done outstanding work in their communities and have a genuine concern for the environment.”

“Lake Macquarie residents can expect both Jane and Bryce to deliver on commitments they make as a candidates for Council,” said Abigail Boyd.

North Ward candidate Bryce Ham said:

“I’ve heard from many Lake Macquarie residents over the last three months and it’s clear they expect Council to deliver safer walking and shared pathway options, particularly around schools. Whether people wish to travel on foot, with strollers, mobility scooters, bicycles, or wheelchairs, residents need safe level areas separated from vehicle traffic, and Council has not done enough in this area to make Lake Macquarie walkable for people of all ages.”

“Residents I’ve heard from are also worried about the threat from encroaching development to the green spaces, beaches and the Lake itself that would ruin what makes Lake Macquarie one of the most desirable places to live in NSW. Council’s current approach to development places at risk the intact habitats, native vegetation, wildlife corridors, walking trails and waterways that make Lake Macquarie attractive to residents in the first place. Without those natural assets, what would we be left with?”

“My approach to infrastructure development is that Lake Macquarie City Council must put residents first. That means sufficient walking, cycling and mobility options in increasingly crowded Charlestown, Cardiff, and Edgeworth to reduce traffic congestion, and connecting Charlestown to the coast via the Dudley trail that I’ve campaigned on for over 5 years now.”

“We will also make announcements for protecting children at all Council playgrounds with UV shadecloth, and better bus shelters to encourage public transport use across the hundreds of bus stops around Lake Macquarie.”

“But today I am most excited to announce that as Greens candidate for Lake Macquarie City Council, I will move to scrap entry fees to Council pools if elected to North Ward in September.”

“The whole community will benefit from the Greens plan to scrap entry fees at all six Council operated pools in Charlestown, Morisset, Swansea, Speers Point, Toronto and West Wallsend,” said Bryce.

“Even in our coastal region blessed with natural ocean and lakeside beaches, public pools are essential to many residents for safety, recreation, exercise, mobility, and social health. But entry fees are locking out too many Lake Macquarie residents. Entry fees are an unnecessary barrier to access, denying residents the health and social benefits of swimming in a safe, supervised environment.”

“Instead of the unnecessary administration costs and unproductive workload that comes from collection and monitoring of entry fees, Council could divert those resources to additional swim programs and maintenance of all six pools around Lake Macquarie. Pool-goers would also find themselves with extra money in their pocket to treat the family at the kiosk instead.”

“For many Lake Macquarie families, the pool is their best option for children to learn to swim, to cool off after a challenging day’s work, or just to spend time together. For older residents the pool can be a great way to reinvigorate their health and social life in a safe swimming environment. Why should residents and ratepayers who already fund these pools miss out on these benefits due to an unnecessary barrier like entry fees?”

“Other areas of NSW that have trialed free entry programs found that their community, their pool, and Council bottom line all benefited as a result. Increased patronage at the pool led to more support for associated programs, pool shops and canteens, with extended hours and seasons leading to more local employment. The health, social, and financial benefits add up to much more than the fees foregone by Council. “

“Summer heatwaves, made more severe by global warming, remind us all that public places to cool off are essential for people of all ages and health needs; what better place than a safe, supervised Council pool?”

“Free, safe and supervised swimming pools bring people together, and Council should encourage more of this in Lake Macquarie by scrapping the entry fees. If elected in September, I will pursue this as a policy for Council,” said Bryce.

East Ward candidate Jane Oakley said:

“Being able to walk safely in our community, whether for transport, leisure or exercise, is critically important.”

“Improving walkability has a range of health, environmental and economic benefits. It’s really a win-win for council and for people in our communities.”

“I’ve spoken with residents who have been lobbying the council for years to improve footpaths around the local shops and schools. They’re fed up with the lack of action and I’m taking up their call as a candidate for East Ward.”

Bryce Ham is the Greens candidate for North Ward Lake Macquarie City Council Contact 0475 263 310

Jane Oakley is the Greens candidate for East Ward Lake Macquarie City Council Contact 0401 867 080