Budget fucks the poor - ACOSS

Well not in so many words, but that's pretty much what the Australian Council of Social Services has stated in it's latest media release. Not that us pensioners need this to be pointed out to us; rocket science isn't needed to ascertain that we are being singled out and clobbered, without any real reason.

Whatever the gov statistics they're using, they're doing it in a way that they reckon proves that we DSP'ers are a blight on Australian society. You can prove anything with statistics, you've just got to use the right ones most favourable to your argument. In fact you could probably prove the sky is purple in a statistical argument. It means little when those statistics are used at the expense of far more relevant and important ones.

So ACOSS has avoided the statistical argument and just come out with it. 

"The real pain of this budget - crushing and permanent - will be felt by people on low incomes, young people, single parents, those with illness or disability, and those struggling to keep a roof over their heads. These are the groups doing the heavy lifting' for the Budget repair job. 

"One of the most disturbing targets of this budget are our young people. The new rules will deny income support to young people up to 29 years, for six months of every year, unless exempted, and then force them into work for the dole. It will deny them Newstart Allowance until 24 (a loss of $48 per week), and move more young people on DSP to Newstart or Youth Allowance, a cut of at least $166 per week. We are excited about the investment for older workers who lose their jobs, but why treat the young and the old so differently? 

"Poorer families will also be worse off as a result of the freezing of family payments for 2 years, the $7 co-payments for doctor's visits and other services, the fuel excise, and the increasing costs of PBS medicines. And no investment in lifting the abysmally low unemployment benefit (Newstart Allowance) for the individuals and families living the most meagre lives, in an otherwise wealthy country. 

"For people on low incomes, housing is the biggest cost of living problem. Yet, this Budget offers no guarantee of future funding for homelessness services, and cuts funding to the NRAS, the one bright light for creating new affordable housing. 

"To then cut funding for community services, including financial counselling and emergency relief - small amounts in big budget terms - just seems a cruel blow. 

"We were told on election night that the new government would not leave anyone behind, now we find its first Budget places the most vulnerable directly in the firing line," Dr Goldie said. more

So my post budget position is thus; I have to go into bat with my GP in the hope he will continue to bulk bill me when seeing him (he will I reckon as he's not heartless like Abbott) and I'm facing a slow starvation in coming years as the gov has changed the indexation method, leaving us around $100 a week worse off after 10 years. Assuming I survive that long. This is simply fucking around with the few $ that we have. How on earth can these pitiful ideologically driven savings do anything at all to the budget numbers. 

Needless, pointless, ideological bullshit. Why should I carry the can for Gina? 

Is it time for the senate to block supply yet?

Bludgertrack