MEMBERS of the Antipoverty League of Queensland, petitioning for a raise to the Newstart allowance, have taken their case to Logan City Council.
The group sat in public gallery to see the petition containing 520 signatures tabled by Cr Jon Raven, the city centres special committee chair promoted today, September 25, to the role of deputy chair of planning.
“The last time Newstart allowance was increased I was in grade 7. It was 1994,” Cr Raven said.
Cr Raven said Newstart recipients lived on payments which came in at $390 below the poverty line a fortnight.
He said besides not being enough to live on, this stopped people getting jobs because they could not afford to catch the bus or train to job interviews.
Cr Raven quoted a recent speech delivered by Wayne Swan, the former Labor deputy prime minister and treasurer, on the subject of economics.
“Give a man $10 million and he’ll help his family and himself. It does nothing for the economy. Give a million men $10 each and they head to shop and spend it, creating economic activity that benefits and is amplified through the community,” he said.
Cr Raven said there needed to a review of Newstart payments and supports.
“It’s important there is a proper review to assess the adequacy of Newstart and how to pay for any changes,” he said.
“The Federal government won’t even acknowledge this issue. In fact, in recent budgets, they tried to cut Newstart by scrapping the energy supplement for new recipients.”
Cr Raven called on the council to write letters of support to those who could help including Labor’s shadow social services minister Linda Burney.
League member Andrew Beitzel said it was encouraging to think the council would get on board and listen to their concerns.
“In somewhere like Australia people are having to choose between rent or food. That shouldn’t be a thing that exists in this country,” he said.
“We’re about struggling under a system and helping each other attempt to tip the balance away from a system that punishes people in poverty.”