Australia — Media
reports today of tax cuts for high income earners and a
possible budget surplus of $12 billion means that there
is absolutely no justification for the Howard Government
to go ahead with proposed cuts to the incomes of an
estimated 60,000 Australians with disability.
“Wealthy Australians
don’t want to get wealthier on the back of
Australians with disability” Maryanne Diamond, the
CEO of the Australian Federation of Disability
Organisations, said today.
This Budget will only be acceptable
to Australians, particularly those with disability, if
it;
- Does not create a two tiered
income system for Australians with
disability.
The Government has broadly
canvassed the introduction of a new system that would see
the income of Australians with disability decided by a
date, rather than on medical bases.
The Australian Federation of
Disability Organisations believes this will leave
60,000 people who have a disability $20 - $40 a week
worse off.
“Simply raising the
eligibility bar for payments does not magically create a
job”, Ms Diamond said.
- Makes a substantial
investment in assisting Australians with disability
into work.
The Australian Federation of
Disability Organisations has repeatedly called upon
the Commonwealth Government to develop a national
coordinated employment strategy that focuses on job
retention and discrimination by employers and addresses
systemic discrimination, such as access to public
buildings.
- Recognises that Australians
with disability face additional costs when trying to
find and keep a job.
If the surplus is as big as
anticipated and there’s room for tax cuts for
high-income earners, then this Government’s pursuit
of Budget cuts will be exposed as a short term and
unnecessary ideological attack on 60,000 Australians with
disability.
