RSS Feed
July 2nd, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Forcing people onto income management will erode self esteem and do little for alcohol and gambling addictions, demonstrators at a two-week vigil in Sydney’s southwest say.
Social workers and union members on Monday started a two-week vigil outside Bankstown Centrelink Centre to protest the rollout of income management.
About 50 demonstrators gathered a day after the Bankstown local government area became one of five national income management trial sites.
Under the program, money can only be spent at Centrelink-approved stores for basics like food, clothing, rent and utility bills.
Australian Services Union NSW and ACT secretary Sally McManus said quarantining more than half of someone’s income with a BasicsCard would stigmatise them.
“When you go shopping people will know you’re on income management,” Ms McManus told AAP.
“It will lead to self esteem being eroded.”
NSW Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said the government had produced no evidence to show income management in the Northern Territory had reduced drinking, disadvantage or gambling addiction.
“Why the government is doing it is not clear,” Senator Rhiannon told AAP.
“People working on the frontline are saying this is not going to bring results.”
Arab Council Australia executive director Randa Kattan said income management in the Northern Territory had seen systematic abuses of rights.
The council is one of many community groups that have joined the Say No to Government Income Management coalition, which plans to boycott the trial.
Spokeswoman for the group, Pam Batkin, said the trial could result in people having up to 70 per cent of their welfare payments quarantined.
“It further stigmatises and marginalises people who are really struggling,” she said.
The federal Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs describes income management as a budgeting tool to help people meet family needs.
Posted in 
Tags: 
