The Federal Treasurer made it very clear prior to the Budget announcement that we would ALL do “the heavy lifting” to get Australia’s finances back into order. Now that the Budget has been announced it is very clear who is doing “the heavy lifting”. The Federal Budget clearly shows that the Treasurer has misled the people of Australia. This comes at a time when the people of North Queensland are still reeling from the pain inflicted by the ruthless Newman LNP Government over the last two years.
On top of the large number of job losses in the public, community and private sectors that Townsville has already experienced, my immediate concern is the impact that this budget will have on Townsville families and our economy. Local businesses understand that taking money out of the pockets of families, low income earners, pensioners, people with a disability and young people will take money out of our community.
Tax increases that impact directly on everyday costs of living, such as fuel and health, as well as the multitude of cuts to incomes, jobs and services will inevitably mean that spending in our local business will decrease significantly. I understand that the government is focused on reducing debt and deficit, but the way Abbott and Hockey are going about it is completely ripping apart the very fabric of our nation and will have a devastating effect on local families, pensioners and the most vulnerable from which they may never recover.
I understand the need to encourage people in receipt of unemployment benefits to seek and gain employment, but this is only possible when there are plenty of jobs available. As an employer I know that is not the case at the moment. I personally know families where either one or both parties have lost their jobs; I have seen the strain that this has put on their health and families.
I have seen the great effort that people have put in to trying to secure a job and the pain of rejection when their best efforts have been unsuccessful; many of these people are still job hunting in a time of rising unemployment. I talked with people about the sacrifices that their families have had to make in order to simply survive, sacrifices that no one would want to face. The message that I hear is that in reality they simply cannot afford many of the everyday necessities nor can they afford to utilise the services in the community as they once did. Not only does this affect the individuals, their families but it also impacts on the local economy and our community.
This Federal Budget has delivered another massive job cuts blow to the Townsville community, it has delivered the message that being sick or needing health care is now a luxury. It has delivered a message that education is not that important and as teacher I can assure you that education is this nation’s way forward to a prosperous future. For people with a disability and pensioners it is simply devastating. The other areas that will cut deeply are the increase in the cost of fuel and medications. This Budget will ensure that the bulk of our community will be under severe stress and pressure, which ultimately means that our local economy will suffer badly.
Coralee O’Rourke
Labor Candidate Mundingburra
Following the Federal Budget announcement, Labor's Candidate for Mundingburra, Coralee O'Rourke wrote to the Bulletin about her concerns. Sadly, the paper couldn't find space in its letters to the editor section. We think it's a great letter that makes some important points... so we've reprinted it here.
Much of the Abbott government's policy has been lifted straight from the UK Tories. And the experience for youth there has been nightmarish.... Check out the video below. It's the trajectory that Hockey has put in place for our youth. And it is wrong, for us as a nation and for the individuals who will be most affected