MEDIA RELEASE NEWSTART NEEDS A FAIR START FOR JOB SEEKERS DON’T HANG THE UNEMPLOYED OUT TO DRY, SAYS MADIGAN. “WE NEED COMPASSION AND COMMON SENSE.” Independent Senator for Victoria John Madigan is calling on the Government to take a fairer approach to job seekers, saying the current tough job market needs compassion and common sense rather than “a shotgun” approach. Senator Madigan said he was opposed to a flat six-month waiting period for Newstart for people under 30. Senator Madigan said he had proposed a series of amendments to the government’s Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment that recognised active job seekers should have a choice in how to receive financial assistance during the six-month waiting period. “Active job seekers who opt-in for work for the dole should receive the full rate of Newstart and those who choose to focus on simply looking for work during the six-month waiting period should still be able to receive 40% of the full rate of Newstart,” Senator Madigan said. Senator Madigan has also circulated amendments to recognise study as work when considering the appropriate waiting period for job seekers. Senator Madigan said: “Although recognising study to be work will cost $116m over the forward estimates, it is in line with the Government’s ‘work or earn’ mantra’. Why should job seekers, people who are prepared to work, who are equipped and trained to work, be punished because successive governments’ poor decisions have led to redundancies? “If job seekers have spent years studying as a student, then that period should be recognised as work and be deducted from the exclusion period.”
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 02:21:02 +0000
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