Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended Australia’s decision to back increased recognition of Palestine at the UN after the Coalition accused him of breaching faith with the Jewish community. Opposition leader Peter Dutton demanded Mr Albanese explain his “captain’s call” to back Palestine’s bid for full United Nations membership, despiteContinue Reading
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will hand down his second full-year budget on Tuesday, vowing to shore up the economy’s near-term growth and deliver cost of living relief without adding to inflation. “This is not the time for scorched earth austerity … this is not the time to slash and burn inContinue Reading
Australians who receive social security payments could be one of the biggest winners in next week’s federal budget, Jim Chalmers has hinted. In a press conference on Tuesday, the Treasurer alluded to “additional steps in the budget” to adopt some of the recommendations of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. TheContinue Reading
A welfare payments increase for more than one million Australians is all but confirmed after the Coalition resolved not to stand in the way of the $40 per fortnight top up. Opposition MPs voted to amend the bill to try to beef-up the number of hours unemployed people can workContinue Reading
An unemployed Melburnian who complained about the $20-a-week increase to Jobseeker has clashed with Ben Fordham in a fiery interview on radio, after the 2GB host last week told the graphic designer to “get a job”. But in “positive development”, Fordham says Jez Heywood, 47, has now been flooded withContinue Reading
An unemployed Melburnian who complained about the $20-a-week increase to JobSeeker has hit back after experiencing a wave of backlash over his criticism of Australia’s welfare system. Graphic designer Jez Heywood, 47, last week told The Australian the extra $2.85 a day was so small as to make no differenceContinue Reading
A Sunshine Coast dad who sparked backlash for claiming he did not have the “energy” to work full-time and preferred getting a “top-up” from Centrelink recently claimed that “no one makes a lifestyle choice” to go on Jobseeker. Prior to last week’s federal budget, Mark Goodrick and his wife JenniferContinue Reading
2GB host Ben Fordham has unloaded on “dole bludgers” after this week’s increases to welfare payments in the federal budget, angrily telling one unemployed Melburnian to “get a job”. Speaking to The Australian earlier this week, graphic designer Jez Heywood, 47, said he was “angry” about the $20-a-week increase toContinue Reading
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended increasing Jobseeker payments solely for Australians over 55 – despite criticism and concern from young people. Next week’s budget is set to confirm the fortnightly Jobseeker payment will be increased for 227,000 older recipients – however, the amount is yet to be determined – whileContinue Reading
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has refused to confirm changes to welfare for single parents but says the payments saved her life when she was a young mother. Single parents with older children hoping to receive more generous government benefits have been on tenterhooks waiting to find out whether the measureContinue Reading