Families
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7th September, 2013 Families suffered from Labor’s erratic policy position, increased taxes as well as higher child care, education and health care costs. Under this toxic combination, household debt reached record levels. Labor created a new industrial relations system dominated by their Union masters and with new awards and penalty loadings which have made labour intensive industry uncompetitive and cost thousands of jobs. Yet strikes increased and reports of union corruption and thuggery abound. So called reforms were generally a return to the dark ages. One job in manufacturing was lost every 19 minutes. |
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14th May, 2013 2013 BUDGET • $1.5 billion carbon tax compensation tax cuts axed • Family Tax Benefits supplements frozen for three years • $5,000 Baby Bonus payment scrapped • One off increase to the Family Tax Benefit Part A of $3,000 for the birth or adoption of the first child and $1,000 for birth or adoption of other children • Family Tax Benefit Part A only paid until the end of the calendar year a child completes school • Newstart recipients can earn an extra $19 per week before welfare payments are reduced • Childcare rebate frozen saving $105.8 million over five years • $127 million for senior citizen computer training and engagement programs |
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3rd May, 2013 The Audit Office reports that in spite of the Federal Government's $1.1 billion National Partnership Agreement on homelessness which promised to reduce homlessness in the five years to July 2013, the number of people living on the streets grew by 17% |
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2nd May, 2013 Government announces an increase in the Medicare levy from 1.5% to 2% to partially fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme |
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8th January, 2013 Reports child care fees will increase to $100 per day as new regulations and staffing rules imposed by the Federal Labor Government. Fees have already increased by 20% under Julia Gillard and the child care rebate has been reduced from $8,200 per annum to $7,000 per child |
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2nd August, 2012 Harvey Norman reports double expected retail sales growth in May and June as $2.4 billion carbon tax compensation; School Kids and Family Yax Benefit payments flow. Only food sales dropped in May 2012 (The Australian) |
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8th June, 2012 The cost of the child care rebate has blown out from $521 million in 2006-07 to $1.59 billion in 2010-11. The cost of the child care benefit has increased over the same period from $1.45 billion to $1.96 billion. The number of children in care has increased from 1.079 million to 1.251 million over the same period. The number of approved services is unchanged at 15,336 (The Australian) |
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31st December, 2011 Three quarters of child care centres will raise their fees from 1-1-12 as a result of Government changes to staffing requirements including new qualification requirements according to a survey of long day care centres by Childcare Alliance Australia. 67% of centres said they have been unable to find qualified staff |
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1st December, 2011 Productivity Commission reports that Government changes to child care will force fee rises of 15% or $42.75 per week, requiring some parents to leave the workforce (The Australian) |
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29th November, 2011 The Government slashes the baby bonus from $5,400 to $5,000 for stay at home mothers in its mini budget, spouse tax rebates abolished for spouses under 60 |
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23rd September, 2011 Childcare fees set to rise by up to $25 per day next year to cover costs of Federal Governments new staffing and quality requirements despite Government claims that the cost increase would only be 57 cents a week rising to $8.67 a week in 2014 (The Australian) |
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10th May, 2011 BUDGET 2011-12 Up front payment discount for HECS / HELP slashed from 20% to m10% disadvantaging families who save for their children’s education Family Tax Benefit A and B supplements frozen for three years at $726.35 per child and $354.05 per child respectively for three years Higher income thresholds for Family Tax Benefit A and B, dependency tax offsets, Baby Bonus and paid parental leave all frozen for three years (cost to families of these freezes will exceed $2 billion) People under 18 years of age no longer able to access low income tax offset on income like dividends, interest and rent Dependent children in full time study aged between 16 and 19 become eligible for FTB-Part A payments. However, dependent children aged over 21 will be ineligible for the benefit Dependent spouse tax offset abolished for most spouses under 40 years of age Proposed paid paternity leave scheme will be delayed until 1-1-2013 (mainly affecting working fathers) saving $33 million $111 million for emergency relief including financial counsellors, foodbank etc |
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28th April, 2011 After three years of Labor rule electricity prices are up 51% (since Dec 2007), gas is up 30%, water and sewerage is up 46%, health up 20%, and education costs up by 24% |
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1st March, 2011 National survey of 525 food and grocery retailers reports that 83% will pass on costs of a carbon tax to consumers and 78% say they will cut jobs and staff hours (United Retailers Federation) Food and Grocery Council said in August 2009 that a CPRS will add 5-7% to grocery prices |
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27th January, 2011 Gillard Government slashes National Rent Affordability Scheme dwelling target (saving $264 million) |
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18th November, 2010 One third of the projects in Queensland under the Federal Government's welfare housing scheme have been awarded to the State Government. Other major beneficiaries have been large ALP donors Grocon and Pacific Pines Project (Courier Mail) |
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28th October, 2010 Since the election of the Federal Labor Government less than three years ago, electricity prices have gone up by 42.2%, gas up 28.6%, water and sewerage up by 45.6%, health up by 16.7%, education prices up 17%, rent up 17.9% (Question Time) |
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24th June, 2010 Kevin Rudd deposed as Prime Minister and replaced by Ms Julia Gillard |
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1st June, 2010 Half of Australia's mothers will miss out on Labor's paid parental leave scheme |
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11th May, 2010 BUDGET Maximum childcare rebate cut from $7778 per child to $7500 and indexation frozen Labor's Budget 2010-11 cuts $43.9 million from Family Relationship Centres forcing families to pay for counselling services or go to the Courts Labor increases the medical expenses tax offset leaving families with more out of pocket health costs |
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29th April, 2010 Government election promise to build 260 new childcare centres was heading for a $390 million cost blow out when the scheme was axed last week |
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13th April, 2010 Childcare centres say fees could rise by $22 a day to cover new staffing requirements |
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12th April, 2010 Social welfare housing units in Cairns are priced at double their estimated value and are being built on sites not permitted under Council planning laws |
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31st March, 2010 The Rudd Labor Government plans an 18 unit social housing development for Palm Cove, which is one hours bus ride from Cairns and has no schools, supermarkets etc |
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13th January, 2010 Rudd Labor Government proposes to reduce access rights to fathers of children under two years of age |
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31st December, 2009 Labor axes free internet content filter service - removing protection from inappropriate internet material to families |
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15th December, 2009 The Rudd Government backs down on its election promise to introduce mandatory filtering on all unlawful and inappropriate online material on websites at the service provider level. Only 'refused classification' material is to be filtered and that is already banned |
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1st December, 2009 Power consumers face 50% increase in electricity charges over the next 5 years because of Labor's CPRS and the impact of neglect of state electricity infrastructure |
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23rd October, 2009 Household debt reaches a record $24,000, even higher than Government debt |
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30th September, 2009 Rudd Government admits not one family has had welfare payments reduced since the introduction of its get tough on school truancy scheme |
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26th June, 2009 Labor abandons its Grocery Watch scheme after $13 million was wasted on the failed scheme |
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16th April, 2009 Government allows banks to increase fees on ATMs |
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1st April, 2009 The Rudd Labor Government has still failed to deliver on its promise to create an Office for Children and Young People |
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27th January, 2009 Labor announces new taxes on alternative fuels, including phasing in by July 2015 a 25 cents per litre excise on ethanol, a 19.1 cents per litre excise on biodiesel and a 12.5 cents per litre excise on LPG. The new excises will devastate the local biofuel industry and increase the cost of fuel for motorists |
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19th December, 2008 The number of hits on the Government's Grocery Watch website falls by 95%. Choice offers to take over the scheme |
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13th November, 2008 Labor axes its Fuel Watch program after widespread complaints that the scheme would not lower prices but would add to business costs |
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26th October, 2008 The price of oil drops to $61 per barrell but the price of petrol remains at $147.6 per litre |
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10th October, 2008 A Galaxy survey says that 92% of families are concerned about petrol prices |
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10th August, 2008 A Galaxy survey says three quarters of families have had to tighten their family budget since the election of the Rudd Government |
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23rd May, 2008 Kevin Rudd declares he has done all he can to reduce the cost of living |
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13th May, 2008 BUDGET The baby bonus scheme is ended for high income families Family Tax Benefit Part B to be removed for some families |
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2nd April, 2008 Consumers will pay an extra $100 a year for electricity to meet the extra cost of Labor's renewable energy program |
