WILL UNITED FUTURE CHANGE IT'S MIND?

Petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB, Lindsay Mitchell, reports,"Whilst debating the newly named Social Security (Personal Development and Employment) Amendment Bill in Parliament yesterday, United Future MP, Judy Turner, said, 'The work ethic, while important, is not the God of family values.' "

"We put it to Ms Turner that a family without a work ethic is a family doomed to stay on a benefit. More importantly, it is not a 'strong family', the repeated call for which is exactly what got this party into Government."

"Turner continued,' United Future is supportive of families in whatever size and shape they find themselves.' United Future voters deserve to know whether their party will draw a distinction between 'support' and 'encouragement' , because encouraging the growth of single parent families is what this bill does."

"The most compelling evidence for this is that Treasury have forecast DPB numbers to rise by one thousand each year for the next three years."

"United Future has argued that the bill would encourage sole parents to find work rather than relying on the tax-payer. Ms Turner puts a lot of faith in the financial sanctions for non-compliance with the vague requirement to plan. She says, 'this bill provides many carrots and needs the big stick that is the sanction.' But sanctions were seldom enforced even under work-testing. Many carrots and no sticks will provide a veritable feast for the breeders."

"We believe United Future are sincere but mistaken in their support for this Bill. They have not had adequate time to scrutinise the submissions made to the Social Services Select Committee nor to properly debate it within their own caucus. This is evidenced by their request for the debates on two more bills to be delayed."

Mitchell urges,"It is not too late for the United Future party to re-think their position. This is an extremely important piece of legislation. It's passage won't just see one thousand extra people going on the DPB each year but an additional eighteen hundred children. Eighteen hundred children, a number the size of a large school roll, will also be reduced to life on a benefit."

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