If you’re running low on cash, you may want to undertake the lucrative career of having a baby!
Pauline Hanson has refused to support the omnibus legislation in its current form because she feels the revised paid parental leave payments are too generous and need to be cut back on.
“They get themselves pregnant and [the government will] have the same problems they did with the Baby Bonus, with people just doing it for the money,” Senator Hanson told The Australian.
“This is not commonsense policy. I’ve gone through a bloody tough life myself as a single mother and held down a part-time job. I had no assistance, no help from anyone. But we have such a welfare handout mentality.”
“Unless we make the tough decisions, we will not be able to provide for those in the future who need a helping hand, like the aged, the sick and the needy.”
In case you’re wondering just how profitable this scheme is, those wishing to access the payment must pass a work test so they can access the minimum wage for 18 weeks. Which is $672.70 a week, or $12,108.60 in total. The Turnbull government is hoping to extend this by two weeks, which would add $1200 to the payment, but would also cut all or part of the payments provided by employers.
This is to stop new parents “double dipping”, as Joe Hockey once said. Yes, the Joe Hockey who was receiving $1000 a month to live at his wife’s house in Canberra for free. Bless.
The omnibus bill contains $4 billion of welfare cuts over 16 measures, including annual family tax benefits, a four-week wait for the dole for Australians under 25, and increasing the age of eligibility for the Newstart and Sickness allowances.
Those on Newstart also receive $1000 a month from the government, just FYI.
With both the Greens and Labor rejecting the Omnibus, the Coalition needs to balance the expectations of One Nation with members of the Nick Xenophon Team and independents Jacqui Lambie, Derryn Hinch, David Leyonhjelm, and Cory Bernardi to have it passed.
Although One Nation hasn’t given an official position on the omnibus, a stab in the dark would suggest the government are going to struggle to get the support they need to make it happen.
