The government’s proposed 6 month wait for unemployment benefits (in fact, ANY wait) is unethical, inhumane and unnecessary. This legislation is back in the Senate today. Please email our senators (addresses below) and tell them to oppose these changes. If you’re not sure why, please read my email below. And feel free to copy and paste what I’ve written for your own email.

My email…

Hi,

The government’s proposed 6 month wait for unemployment benefits (in fact, ANY wait) is unethical, inhumane and unnecessary.

It’s also in breach of our international human rights obligations. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifies that:

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a25

And if that’s not enough for you, here’s an idea. Why don’t YOU agree to have your bank accounts frozen for 6 months, to be denied all income, family support, credit, and benefits for 6 months, to write 40 job applications per month without assistance, to pay to go to interviews (fuel and/or public transport), to then get turned down for every job you applied for? And all the while, to be subjected to a constant barrage of bile and untruths spewed about you by politicians and the press? Are you willing to make that sacrifice? We all have to do the heavy lifting, after all. And surely you’re willing to practise what you preach?

In fact, according to the Department of Social Services’ Cath Halbert (back in June), with existing waiting periods some jobseekers may have to go 11 months without payments! http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2014/s4019031.htm Are you prepared to do without all money, yourself, for 11 months?

No, didn’t think so.

Please oppose any delay for unemployment benefits.

Instead, perhaps take a look at All these corporations that are evading their tax obligations: http://www.smh.com.au/business/ato-needs-to-man-up-on-tax-dodges-20140928-10n7f7.html (Like Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, which is paying just 1.1% tax. Or James Hardie Industries, which is paying NO TAX AT ALL!)

Or the billions we’re paying an 85% foreign-owned coal mining industry to dig up our minerals and ship the profits home (http://www.sciencemedia.com.au/downloads/2011-6-29-3.pdf).

Or the fact that while mining profits have been increasing, resource taxes and royalties have been decreasing.

Or go after these 75 of Australia’s richest people discussed here: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/budget-pain-not-for-millionaires-who-pay-no-tax-20140512-zr9o3.html.

Or the fact that more than half the benefits of tax breaks on super contributions go to the top fifth of income earners (http://www.smh.com.au/money/tax/guess-what–the-rich-get-the-breaks-20140731-zyfg7.html).

I’m sure there’s plenty of ways you can trim fat; there’s absolutely no need to punish jobseekers.

Kind regards,
Glenn

Senators’ email addresses

Here’s a list of all but 2 of our senators’ email addresses. You can just copy and paste straight into the To field in your email client. Just make sure you include your full name and residential address. Apparently some of them require it.

senator.lundy@aph.gov.au; senator.seselja@aph.gov.au; senator.cameron@aph.gov.au; senator.faulkner@aph.gov.au; senator.fierravanti-wells@aph.gov.au; senator.heffernan@aph.gov.au; senator.leyonhjelm@aph.gov.au; senator.nash@aph.gov.au; senator.payne@aph.gov.au; senator.rhiannon@aph.gov.au; senator.sinodinos@aph.gov.au; senator.williams@aph.gov.au; senator.oneill@aph.gov.au; senator.scullion@aph.gov.au; senator.peris@aph.gov.au; senator.brandis@aph.gov.au; senator.canavan@aph.gov.au; senator.ketter@aph.gov.au; senator.lazarus@aph.gov.au; senator.ludwig@aph.gov.au; senator.ian.macdonald@aph.gov.au; senator.mason@aph.gov.au; senator.mcgrath@aph.gov.au; senator.mclucas@aph.gov.au; senator.moore@aph.gov.au; senator.osullivan@aph.gov.au; senator.waters@aph.gov.au; senator.birmingham@aph.gov.au; senator.edwards@aph.gov.au; senator.fawcett@aph.gov.au; senator.gallacher@aph.gov.au; senator.hanson-young@aph.gov.au; senator.mcewen@aph.gov.au; senator.ruston@aph.gov.au; senator.wong@aph.gov.au; senator.wright@aph.gov.au; senator.xenophon@aph.gov.au; senator.abetz@aph.gov.au; senator.bilyk@aph.gov.au; senator.carol.brown@aph.gov.au; senator.bushby@aph.gov.au; senator.colbeck@aph.gov.au; senator.lambie@aph.gov.au; senator.milne@aph.gov.au; senator.parry@aph.gov.au; senator.polley@aph.gov.au; senator.singh@aph.gov.au; senator.urquhart@aph.gov.au; senator.whish-wilson@aph.gov.au; senator.carr@aph.gov.au; senator.collins@aph.gov.au; senator.conroy@aph.gov.au; senator.dinatale@aph.gov.au; senator.fifield@aph.gov.au; senator.madigan@aph.gov.au; senator.marshall@aph.gov.au; senator.mckenzie@aph.gov.au; senator.muir@aph.gov.au; senator.ronaldson@aph.gov.au; senator.ryan@aph.gov.au; senator.back@aph.gov.au; senator.bullock@aph.gov.au; senator.cash@aph.gov.au; senator.cormann@aph.gov.au; senator.johnston@aph.gov.au; senator.lines@aph.gov.au; senator.ludlam@aph.gov.au; senator.reynolds@aph.gov.au; senator.siewert@aph.gov.au; senator.sterle@aph.gov.au; senator.wang@aph.gov.au;

Please share

Unfortunately with all the talk (smokescreen) of terrorism going around at the moment, this bill is at risk of flying under the radar. Please share this post with your friends and family, urging them to contact their senators.