Last week in Senate Estimates, the Department of Social Services revealed that not one Australian family will be better off as a result of Tony Abbott’s budget of broken promises.
Department of Social Services Deputy Secretary Serena Wilson said:
“I’m unaware of a circumstance in which as a consequence of a range of budget measures a family would be better off...”
Federal Member for Ballarat Catherine King warned that more than 10,000 children in Ballarat are from families currently receiving Family Tax Benefit Part B and their household budgets will be hit hard.
“Tony Abbott’s budget will freeze the rates of Family Tax Benefits and cut off local families from receiving Family Tax Benefit B when their youngest child turns six,” Ms King said.
“In addition to cuts to family payments, 9,500 Ballarat families will lose their SchoolKids Bonus at the same time as paying Tony Abbott’s new $7 GP Tax, increased costs for medicines and further increases at the petrol pump.
“Because of Tony Abbott, a single income family on $65,000 with two children aged 8 and 14 is going to lose over $6,000 per year by 2016.
“Before the election, Tony Abbott said he would help families with the real cost of raising children but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
“In a week when Tony Abbott asked ‘Where’s the problem?’ he need look no further than into a mirror to see that he is the one that is hurting low and middle income families, pensioners and the most vulnerable in our community.”