Government stuff...
All of you who aren't Aussies can tune out of this one if you like :-)
This post is for two purposes...
1) Please, please, PLEASE double-check that you are correctly enrolled to vote for this year's Federal Election. It slipped under the radar in the news, but the Government has passed a bill that states that the roll will close the moment an election is closed - previously there was a week's grace for people to register who hadn't already. So if you aren't, or you've moved, do it now or you may not get a chance.
2) Over the last few days I've heard a lot of different stories from a lot of different people about the joy that is Centrelink, and I realised that, really, there is no-one to represent us - we tend to have to stand on our own to try and fight the system when it's unfair.
So, it's time we got organised. As noted above, we are in an election year, which means that now is the best time to make this an issue with the Government. To that end, I want your stories... all of them. It can be (for example) any gripes you have with the system as it stands (like the fact that currently, students on Youth Allowance get Rent Assistance but students on Austudy do not), problems with the amount you're getting paid (like the fact that chances are it's well below the minimum wage/poverty line), or issues with not being allowed a health care card when you are clearly low-income.
I want to hear about the times you've had to choose between rent and food, or between bills and medical expenses. If you know other people who have stories - invite them all along. My aim is to collect all of the stories in one place then take it to both major parties (and probably the minor parties as well) - let's see if we can get a better deal...
NB - I'm happy to get anonymous comments if you'd rather stay unknown. However, please don't reply to other people's posts in this entry - we all know it sucks to be poor in Australia (as it does anywhere). This will help keep this post a bit more manageable if it gets to the point I'm hoping it will...
This post is for two purposes...
1) Please, please, PLEASE double-check that you are correctly enrolled to vote for this year's Federal Election. It slipped under the radar in the news, but the Government has passed a bill that states that the roll will close the moment an election is closed - previously there was a week's grace for people to register who hadn't already. So if you aren't, or you've moved, do it now or you may not get a chance.
2) Over the last few days I've heard a lot of different stories from a lot of different people about the joy that is Centrelink, and I realised that, really, there is no-one to represent us - we tend to have to stand on our own to try and fight the system when it's unfair.
So, it's time we got organised. As noted above, we are in an election year, which means that now is the best time to make this an issue with the Government. To that end, I want your stories... all of them. It can be (for example) any gripes you have with the system as it stands (like the fact that currently, students on Youth Allowance get Rent Assistance but students on Austudy do not), problems with the amount you're getting paid (like the fact that chances are it's well below the minimum wage/poverty line), or issues with not being allowed a health care card when you are clearly low-income.
I want to hear about the times you've had to choose between rent and food, or between bills and medical expenses. If you know other people who have stories - invite them all along. My aim is to collect all of the stories in one place then take it to both major parties (and probably the minor parties as well) - let's see if we can get a better deal...
NB - I'm happy to get anonymous comments if you'd rather stay unknown. However, please don't reply to other people's posts in this entry - we all know it sucks to be poor in Australia (as it does anywhere). This will help keep this post a bit more manageable if it gets to the point I'm hoping it will...