[Greens-Media] Punishing families for truancy destined to fail

[Norton, Tim (Sen R. Siewert)]

Punishing families for truancy destined to fail
Thursday 28th August 2008

"It is clear from Senate question time today that the Government has not
thought through the impacts of their planned welfare quarantining trials
for truancy," said Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.
 
"In the Senate today, the Government admitted that the trial was not
limited to the suburb of Cannington, as originally stated. Instead, the
trial extends across the Cannington Centrelink district, which includes
the suburbs of South Guilford, Burswood, Victoria Park, South Perth,
Queens Park, Belmont, Bentley, Rossmoyne, Welshpool and Canning Vale."
 
"I would hope that the Federal Government is aware of the past failed
trials of such measures in Western Australia, such as the Halls Creek
trial."
 
"The Government were also unable to answer my questions about the
support services that are in place for the families that have had their
payments suspended, particularly for those that have more than one
child," said Senator Siewert.
 
The Greens WA also expressed their concerns about the proposed welfare
quarantining trials.
 
Greens WA candidate for the South Metropolitan Region Lynn MacLaren said
today: "I am concerned about the capacity of community services and
charities to cope with an increase in demand for help from families who
have had their payments suspended. These organisations already help well
over 400,000 people who are struggling to cope with the rising cost of
living in WA."
 
"It is worrying that the Government is rolling out a discriminatory new
system across the whole country without proper data, and are failing to
learn from existing programs which haven't worked," said Senator
Siewert.
 
"Rather than attempting to punish struggling, low-income families, the
Government should be focusing on the underlying causes of increased
truancy and delivering a real education revolution so that kids want to
be at school," concluded Senator Siewert.
 
For more information or media enquiries please call Chris Twomey on 0407
725 025
senator.siewert at aph.gov.au  |  www.rachelsiewert.org.au  |
www.greensmps.org.au