[Greens-Media] Welfare reforms will only damage communities

[Norton, Tim (Sen R. Siewert)]

Welfare reforms will only damage communities
Wednesday 19th November 2008

The Australian Greens today condemned the Government's move to commence
welfare quarantining trials in Cannington and the Kimberley in Western
Australia.

"It is clear that the Government has not thought through the impacts of
their planned welfare quarantining trials. I am appalled that the
Government thinks this type of approach is the way to deal with this
complex social problem," said Senator Rachel Siewert.

"Where is the evidence to support this approach? It is worrying that the
Government is rolling out ungrounded coercive approaches without proper
data, and are failing to learn from existing programs which haven't
worked." 

"These trials are not limited to the suburb of Cannington - the
Centrelink area of Cannington encompasses a large area of Perth, and it
is also being rolled out in the Kimberley region," said Senator Siewert.

"The recent review of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER)
recommended that any welfare quarantining should be voluntary and in the
hands of the community. The Government didn't listen to that advice in
the NT, and it seems they are determined to ignore it in WA as well."

"Rather than attempting to punish struggling, low-income families, the
Government should be dealing with the underlying causes of neglect and
delivering proper support for families in crisis," said Senator Siewert.


"The welfare card system has already been shown to be a giant white
elephant in the NT, with access and availability problems coupled with
lack of support services in prescribed areas."

"We need to return to an evidence-based approach to policy, to build on
what we already know works," she concluded.

For more information or media enquiries please call Tim Norton on 0418
401 180