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Where were Labor politicians when single parents needed them? Where were Labor politicians when single parents needed them?
(about 5 hours later)
I recently attended a speech by former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese as part of his campaign for the Australian Labour party leadership. To a crowd of converted supporters, he outlined Labor’s achievements and his plans for the future. Speaking off the cuff, he shared his dream to remove the “absurdities” clogging government, contrasting his vision against Abbott’s conservative cabinet. I recently attended a speech by former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese as part of his campaign for the Australian Labor party leadership. To a crowd of converted supporters, he outlined Labor’s achievements and his plans for the future. Speaking off the cuff, he shared his dream to remove the “absurdities” clogging government, contrasting his vision against Abbott’s conservative cabinet.
We all smiled – after all, we are the converted – but the statement left me with a lingering question: “so why didn’t you do anything when you could”?We all smiled – after all, we are the converted – but the statement left me with a lingering question: “so why didn’t you do anything when you could”?
It’s a question I keep on revisiting, especially in light of Albanese and Shorten’s recent remarks that the Gillard government was wrong to reduce single parenting payments in pursuit of its white whale, an economic surplus.It’s a question I keep on revisiting, especially in light of Albanese and Shorten’s recent remarks that the Gillard government was wrong to reduce single parenting payments in pursuit of its white whale, an economic surplus.
So why didn’t you do anything, Albo? In fact, why didn’t anyone in the Labor government do anything back then, if it was such a bad idea they now all regret? Where was the will to fight for single parents, which is only now so prominently on display? Where were the mea culpas nine months ago, after approximately 65,000 people and their children had benefits drastically cut from anywhere between $30-150 per week?So why didn’t you do anything, Albo? In fact, why didn’t anyone in the Labor government do anything back then, if it was such a bad idea they now all regret? Where was the will to fight for single parents, which is only now so prominently on display? Where were the mea culpas nine months ago, after approximately 65,000 people and their children had benefits drastically cut from anywhere between $30-150 per week?
Where were the concerned faces back then for single parents who reported to various agencies and support groups they were sleeping in cars, living without electricity and feeling suicidal? Possibly waiting for more budgeting advice from Labor MP Jenny Macklin, who famously remarked at the time that she could live on Newstart’s $35 per day allowance? I still eagerly await her appearance on Kitchen Cabinet, so she can share the ease of living on toast and rice, stretching that meagre weekly food budget even further so your children can get more nutrients than you.Where were the concerned faces back then for single parents who reported to various agencies and support groups they were sleeping in cars, living without electricity and feeling suicidal? Possibly waiting for more budgeting advice from Labor MP Jenny Macklin, who famously remarked at the time that she could live on Newstart’s $35 per day allowance? I still eagerly await her appearance on Kitchen Cabinet, so she can share the ease of living on toast and rice, stretching that meagre weekly food budget even further so your children can get more nutrients than you.
Kevin Rudd promised to redress the issue were he voted in. But was too little far too late, and even then was couched in “maybe” and “as our budgetary circumstances permit”. Well, it was too little and far too late for parents who faced hunger and rental arrears, and who may be tempted to follow Rudd’s rhetoric and call their electricity provider promising to pay the bill if “budgetary circumstances permit” in an attempt to not get the power disconnected again.Kevin Rudd promised to redress the issue were he voted in. But was too little far too late, and even then was couched in “maybe” and “as our budgetary circumstances permit”. Well, it was too little and far too late for parents who faced hunger and rental arrears, and who may be tempted to follow Rudd’s rhetoric and call their electricity provider promising to pay the bill if “budgetary circumstances permit” in an attempt to not get the power disconnected again.
But now Albanese says reducing single parent payments was “an area where we made a mistake” and Shorten says he wants to “make it unambiguous that Labor is in your corner”. So, again, why didn’t they do anything?But now Albanese says reducing single parent payments was “an area where we made a mistake” and Shorten says he wants to “make it unambiguous that Labor is in your corner”. So, again, why didn’t they do anything?
Our fear of an Abbott victory made some of us – myself included – complicit in condoning or silently accepting brutal legislation we should not have in the white-knuckled belief that a bad Labor government was still better than Abbott. That fear led to devastating results.Our fear of an Abbott victory made some of us – myself included – complicit in condoning or silently accepting brutal legislation we should not have in the white-knuckled belief that a bad Labor government was still better than Abbott. That fear led to devastating results.
The next three years are going to be bad. We have a government in power who are currently moving at a breakneck pace to dismantle whatever they can from Labor’s positive legacy. Right now, it’s tempting to view Labor through rose-coloured glasses, as a friend to the worker and the oppressed, defender of social responsibility and services. While it’s true the last government was amazingly productive, we should not forget it also introduced legislation that irreparably damaged the lives of the very people it claims to defend.The next three years are going to be bad. We have a government in power who are currently moving at a breakneck pace to dismantle whatever they can from Labor’s positive legacy. Right now, it’s tempting to view Labor through rose-coloured glasses, as a friend to the worker and the oppressed, defender of social responsibility and services. While it’s true the last government was amazingly productive, we should not forget it also introduced legislation that irreparably damaged the lives of the very people it claims to defend.
If Labor is to survive and develop over the next three years, we need them to be far more honest and humane than they have been in the past six years, and atone for the damage they have wrought on Australian families.If Labor is to survive and develop over the next three years, we need them to be far more honest and humane than they have been in the past six years, and atone for the damage they have wrought on Australian families.
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