Page 2076 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 25 October 1989
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which the Liberals are prepared to go to drive a wedge amongst the people of Australia. There is a bit of victim-bashing in there which I am sure the members of the Liberal Party opposite - - -
Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, further to my point of order, once again the Minister is failing to accept your ruling that his statement should be relevant to this debate.
MR SPEAKER: Minister Berry, please proceed to the point.
MR BERRY: Indeed, I will stick to the point, Mr Speaker.
Mr Collaery: I want to hear more about Wollongong, Mr Speaker.
MR BERRY: Unfortunately, each time I talk about Wollongong Mr Humphries complains about it, Mr Collaery. I would be careful about forming an alliance with that lot, because they have got no sympathy for Wollongong at all. Merle Mitchell said:
The package gives large hand-outs to the privileged at the expense of the poor. The policy offers nothing to address our country's serious economic difficulties and in many areas is quite counterproductive. The proposals will hit hardest some of the most disadvantaged people in our community.
I include amongst those single parents; long-term unemployed people; disabled and ill people; people looking for work, especially older women seeking to re-enter the work force; people from non-English speaking background; and Aborigines - a matter of great shame to the Liberal Party, I would suggest.
The Commonwealth Opposition has proposed spending cuts of $2.7 billion, of which the largest proportion - 42 per cent - is to come from the social security and welfare area. Social security would suffer a cut of $1,145m thereby affecting already disadvantaged groups such as unemployed, invalid pensioners, migrants and women caring for their families. These groups are least likely to have backup resources and support networks to meet increased hardship. It would be left to already overworked welfare groups - many of them in the ACT are overworked - along with State and territory governments, like the ACT Government, to meet these increased demands.
As an example, under the policy, people would be cut off from unemployment benefits after nine months and would have to seek the present special benefit, which is subject to strict eligibility criteria.
Mr Stefaniak: Good.
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