Reform Short on Detail

The Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission is concerned that real evidence of the Government’s commitment to Welfare Reform has now been delayed until the next Budget and remains at risk until then. It will certainly delay implementation of positive aspects of the McClure Report. The Commission is also concerned that the Government has failed to ground its reforms in the dignity of the person.

Executive Secretary Toby O’Connor said: "The Commission is adamant that the Government’s populist mutual obligation framework remains deeply flawed. The extension of Work-for-the-Dole to the older unemployed is problematic and the Commission will continue to recommend caution for Catholic Church agencies considering involvement in these schemes.

"The Government has found Work-for-the-Dole and other punitive aspects of Mutual Obligation to be electorally popular. We believe that results are only achieved when this Government’s raw policy is significantly subsidised by agencies’ own resources. The real test of this approach will come with an economic downturn.

"Social justice requires recognition of the mutual obligation of individual and society, but the Government has failed to ground its vision of mutual obligation in the dignity of the person. All citizens, income support recipients included, have an obligation to contribute to society through participation. Government is obliged to create the conditions to make this participation possible, but this does not justify punitive, sanctions-based schemes and even less their expansion to new categories of income support recipients.

"Forcing sole parents to ‘participate’ in interviews once their youngest child turns 6, or training and employment activities once their child turns 13, denies the intrinsic value of parenting. Caring for school-aged children and family considerations must be allowed to come first. A truly family-friendly Government would recognise and promote parenting choice for rich and poor alike.

"Instead of penalising individuals for failing to find paid work, when this is virtually impossible in many regions and difficult enough for some groups, Government ought to be emphasising society’s obligation to provide real job and training opportunities. In a regionally divided labour market the Government should not punish the jobless.

"If the Government’s reforms are to meet the requirements of equity, then it is imperative that emphasis be placed on the structural causes of disadvantage. The Commission holds that social policy should serve the well being of all citizens who, by virtue of their humanity, should be treated with dignity.

"However, Senator Newman’s establishment of a Consultative Forum is to be welcomed. It is clear this group will carry the heavy responsibility for turning the Government’s words into deeds. They will need to focus on funding requirements in addition to the detail of service delivery," Mr O’Connor concluded.