Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Pension up $17.10 per fortnight, Newstart up $2.90


Surely not. But it's true.

And a national humiliation.

That may be why the government may have dishonestly fed Channel Seven misleading information for its TV news story Friday night.

This is contemptible, on several levels.

1. We entitled to have a government that tells the whole truth - including when it backgrounds journalists.

To compare Newstart (including in the calculation supplementary payments such as rent assistance) to the minimum wage (without including supplementary payments such as rent assistance) is dishonest.

2. It betrays guilt over what is happening to Newstart, which the government is apparently prepared to endure rather than put right.

3. To use a false comparison to further stigmatise already-stigmatised Newstart recipients adds insult to injury.

I do not know which staff member in Shorten or Macklin's office fed Channel Seven the false comparison.

He or she ought to have difficulty sleeping.

Maybe after the election he or she will get to try Newstart.

I've heard it's not that low.







Related Posts

. The truth about Newstart they don't want you to hear

. Whose cost of living is soaring most?

. Newstart won't even pay the rent