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The smokefree legislation in UK We are all connected to acts of torture
Racial violence
erupts in Sydney The Iraq illusion - by Paul Rogers I found the Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction! Europe's anti-terror secrets - by Mats Engström Submission of HREOC to Senate Inquiry Anti-Terrorism Bill Senator Kerry Nettle the gap between the rich and poor has continue to grow Senator Linda Kirk Senator Despoja WHY IS FRANCE BURNING?
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Dear Antonios
Thank you for your email regarding the government’s changes to current welfare legislation. The legislation relating to these changes has not come before the Senate. However, the Australian Democrats share your concerns about the impact of the proposed changes on many vulnerable people in our community. We support helping people back into work but do not believe that simply pushing people off parenting payments and disability Support Payments or reducing their income is beneficial. Welfare reform should be about investing in people and removing barriers to employment, not punishing people by reducing their essential income. I have worked hard in the Senate for many years to prevent harsh and unjust measures being inflicted on those who are least well off. In recent times, the Democrats were successful in forcing changes that ensured a more realistic approach towards compliance activities by Centrelink, which dramatically reduced the number of unemployed people having their income cut. We were also successful in stopping measures that would have led to significant loss of income for many disabled people. As leader , in 2002, I lead the campaign to prevent the Government from omposing welfare reforms similar to those they are now pursuing, which would have mademany people ineligible for disability pension. In 2003, the Democrats won retrospective financial support for foster parents who, in 2002, were denied access to child benefits through a Government oversight. The Democrats also stopped Government measures that would have resulted in children as young as six years left vulnerable and at risk due to their parents being forced to participate n employment. This is despite there being little available and affordable child care. Children must not be made victims of Government policies but this will be an inevitable outcome of the punishing regime that is proposed by the Government. The Government removed the Disability Discrimination Commissioner from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, and continues to portray people with disabilities as “shirkers”. It has capped the number of places in the Open Employment scheme for people with disabilities, which means fewer than 6 per cent of DSP recipients can get help. Due to our failure to gain enough votes at the last elections, and the loss of 3 Senators(and 4 Senate positions), the Democrats can no longer provide the level of protection we previously have against extreme and damaging legislation. However, we will continue to work hard as possible with the community to build public pressure to force in the unjust welfare changes which are being proposed. We will also continue to address the difficulties faced by disadvantaged Australian in gaining employment. We will refer any legislation that relates to welfare reform to committee for review when it comes before the Senate, so that the facts about how these changes will affect Australians can be given a fuller public airing and properly taken into consideration. However , as the Government now has a majority in the Senate it will be up to the Government to determine how or if such Committee operate. Legislation will pass unamended unless a number of Coalition Senators can be convinced to vote against it. Community and political pressure will be crucial to the chances of protecting vulnerable Australians against unfair changes, and will be seeking to work with the public and community groups to make that pressure as strong as possible. Thank you for writing on this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me again should you have further information you would like to draw to my attention. If you would like to kept in touch with Democrats ‘ work on this important campaign, please send an email Your sincerely Natasha Stott Despoja Senator for South Australia 13 September 2005
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