NTCOSS News Sheet June 2010
NTCOSS NEWS SHEET – June 2010
As we enter the new financial year, Australia has its first female Prime Minister after dramatic events in Canberra over the past couple of weeks. Julia Gillard has commenced her reign by seeking to renegotiate the Resource Super Profits Tax. She is also under pressure to come up with a ‘tougher’ position on asylum seekers, as opposition leader Tony Abbott speaks of ‘turning back the boats’. NTCOSS would like to see more thoughtful and less divisive public discussion on asylum seekers as we head towards a federal election possibly as early as August.
Income Management Expansion
The legislation to expand welfare quarantining across the whole of the NT has passed through the Senate with the support of both major parties and will take effect from 1 July 2010. NTCOSS remains deeply concerned about the new rules, which will see income management applied to a larger group of people without reference to their capacity to manage money. While the legislation provides for social security recipients to seek an exemption from the provisions, the Department’s draft documents indicate that the process will be intrusive and complex, and that the bar will be set very high. NTCOSS has publicly expressed concerns that community sector service delivery agencies have not been given sufficient information to enable them to best support their clients
There is also capacity under the legislation for any social security recipient – including those on aged pension or disability support pension – to be declared ‘vulnerable’ and made subject to income management provisions. Centrelink social workers will have enormous discretion in making the judgement about whether a particular client is vulnerable. NTCOSS have written a submission to the department arguing that much greater clarity about the measures is required, and pointing out that social security recipients appear to be asked top conform with higher behavioural standards than the general population.
Graham Ring is about to commence a 10 hours per week project documenting the impact of the new income management arrangements and seeking opportunities to place material in media outlets, particularly ‘down south’. We are asking member organisations with direct experience of the way in which income management affects their clients to share this information.
Media
June has been a particularly busy month for media contact, with issues such as income management and child protection attracting considerable interest. NTCOSS board member Jane Vadiveloo did a lengthy interview on ABC’s Radio National for the National Interest program in relation to the new income management arrangement arrangements. In Alice Springs, Central Australian Policy Officer, Jonathan Pilbrow, has also been busy, doing radio on 8HA in Alice Springs, CAAMA, and ABC Rockhampton talking about income management and the operation of the BasicsCard. From Darwin, Wendy Morton was quoted at some length on income management in an article in the Melbourne Age. Wendy has also done extensive radio on ABC in Darwin around both income management and child protection issues.
Vinnies sleepout
On 17 June, Wendy joined CEO’s from business, community and public sectors in the NT for a night under the stars in the 2010 Vinnies Sleepout at Gardens Oval. The event was a great success, raising considerable amounts of money, and offering these community leaders a first hand insight into the hardships of homelessness. Wendy’s verdict “Sleeping on a piece of cardboard is bloody uncomfortable.”
Regards from the NTCOSS crew
