10 May 09

SJN welcomes progressive moves in this year’s Federal budget

Despite deep reservations on earlier Labor federal government’s financial decisions, Social Justice Network (SJN) welcomes few progressive moves expected to be included in this coming budget.

“The SJN unreservedly opposed some measures in the stimulus package passed by Federal parliament in March, particularly handing out billion of dollars to middle and low income earners. The SJN believed that such money spree would not create one job” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson of SJN. “Instead, the SJN hoped that the Federal parliament will approve spending this huge money on huge infrastructure projects. Such projects would create tens of thousands of jobs”.

But the recent announcements by Federal government need high applaud and support. The network supports particularly 2 proposed measures:
1-The introduction of means - testing for the government 30% rebate on private health insurance.
2-The proposed introduction of 18-week paid paternal leave scheme.

“The SJN declared from the beginning of its political campaign that it opposes the 30% rebate. It considered such rebate as waste of tax-payers money which benefited only middle and high income earners. This rebate also affected the government’s level of funding of public health services. This lead to greater suffering by users of public health services, who are mainly poor and marginlasied communities”

The network also praises the government for introducing the 18 – week paternal leave scheme. This introduction which would put Australia on the same steps as other nations, some of them are poor developing nations but are still having such legislation.

“While the network believes that 18 weeks do not live up to hopes of million of working families, but it is definitely a huge step forward away from previous regressive government’s refusal to legislate it” added Mr Daoud.
The network would like to congratulate the Labor Federal government for its courage to propose these changes, one of them are highly unpopular among some sections of privileged voters. It also condemns the silence of all senators representing “progressive” parties to support these important measures. These “progressive” parties which are playing as propaganda machine in the hands of regressive Liberal/National opposition, with no clear agenda. Their rhetoric of supporting “marginalised” and poor communities, turned to be no more than empty misleading statements used for merely electoral gains.

This is why to date these “progressive” parties were lagging behind even “conservative” parties on acting to rectify injustices against marginlasied communities. In fact they became part of the problem of maintaining these injustices. This is why growing numbers of Australians are voting informally or voting for independents in the last few elections. This was one of the reasons why SJN was established and will continue to campaign to expose the hypocrisy of these “privileged” senators claiming to represent poor and marginalised Australians.

For media interviews, you can contact Jamal Daoud on 0424 163 667