Just cut the crap and raise the rate
Anthony Albanese has kicked off 2023 by trying to lie to welfare recipients. Sadly for the PM, we’re not as stupid as he thinks.
It’s official: Anthony Albanese has already made his first howler of 2023. In a move that’s been widely condemned on social media, the PM has tried to claim credit for the regular indexation of youth and student payments.
“Starting in January, we’ve increased payments to support students by more than 6%”
Here, Mr Albanese has ripped a page right out of the Scott Morrison playbook: namely, congratulating himself for something he had absolutely nothing to with. These regularly scheduled indexations occur regardless of who is in power.
On January 1st, the legislated indexation of Youth Allowance (YA) automatically kicked in, raising the payment a neglibible $2.30 a day. Albanese is trying to paint this as good news, but (as he well knows) it isn’t any kind of increase in real terms – it simply means that YA, like all other social security payments, is being kept in line with the CPI.
Less than 12 months ago, when he was Opposition Leader, Albanese publicly criticised the government for lauding indexation in this way; but now, in power, he’s pulling the same nasty trick. Why the blatant hypocrisy?
For governments that want to starve the poor, but look like good guys at the same time, it’s the kind of propaganda that’s hard to resist. By talking up indexation, leaders can deliberately mask the cruel reality: namely, that they are actually plunging thousands of students into poverty.
According to a report released by the National Union of Students last year, the government is currently locking out 450 000 students out of our social security system. This means that many young people are being driven into homelessness or are trapped in unsafe households.
Those “lucky” enough to access Youth Allowance must endure payments of as little as $30 a day – more than 60% below the Henderson Poverty Line. According to NUS, this means students are regularly skipping meals in order to survive. These aren’t conditions anyone can thrive in; especially not students with full course loads.
After years of lies and deception from the Morrison government, Australians expect better from our new PM. A clear majority in this country want the government to raise the rate of welfare payments, and are losing patience for these cynical political games.
Indeed, if Albanese thinks he can gloss over the poverty crisis with smirk and deception, we’re here to tell him he’s dead wrong.
It’s time for DJ Albo to stop spinning, and start acting on the antipoverty rhetoric he conveniently spouted from Opposition. Because, if he keeps lying to us like his predecessor, he’s likely to suffer a similar fate.
Media contact: Jeremy Poxon (0404 089 575)
