Last year Julia Gillard took one sensible decision – to reduce payments to single parents whose youngest child reached 8 to the Newstart level rather than the higher parenting payment.
As Jenny Macklin said on 1 January 2013
What we know is that we needed to fix a difference that was in the system for parenting payments. Back in 2006 the rules were changed and anybody who had their youngest child turn 8 coming on to Parenting Payment who was looking for work went on to unemployment benefits instead. What we’ve done is really just make sure that those people who’ve been on the payment for a longer period of time have the same rules applied to them.
In his Q&A appearance last night, Kevin Rudd issued an uncosted promise to increase single parent welfare payments as a ‘top priority’ if re-elected on Saturday.
Rudd said
If we are returned, it will be the first thing we address. I mean it. As soon as the budget opens up that amount of space to deal with this challenge, we should act. I was very uncomfortable with it then. I am very uncomfortable with where we are now. I am being up-front about it. As soon as the budget allows us a bit of space to act on that, we will. (my bolding)
That seems to be another Rudd lie. In a news report from 10 October 2012, it was noted that 10 Labor Caucus members wanted to force a delay in the implementation of the policy until after a Senate inquiry had concluded.
The 10 were: Doug Cameron, Janelle Saffin, Claire Moore, Gavin Marshall, Louise Pratt, Jill Hall, Laura Smyth, Gai Brodtmann, Ed Husic and Stephen Jones
No Kevin Rudd there.
The fact is that Rudd raised no objections to the implementation of this measure and then voted for it when the Bill was presented to Parliament.
Another Rudd lie and another Rudd thought bubble.
When will we see Kevin Rudd’s full costings?
Ceterum autem censeo Kevinum Scardinium delendum esse.
