Further enquiries contact:
Damian Neylon, Chairman of the Board of Anglicare Victoria on (03) 9412 6110
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12 May 2010
Uninspiring budget delivers little ‘new news’:
Anglicare Victoria
The 2010/2011 federal budget has delivered very little in the way of new funding to
tackle issues close to the heart of many Australian families including housing,
education and child care Anglicare Victoria said today.
“There is very little new news in this rather uninspiring but not unexpected budget,”
said Anglicare Victoria CEO, Dr Ray Cleary.
“We welcome the announcement of $26.5 million over four years to help the
forgotten Australians reconnect with their biological families and we support other
initiatives such as the paid parental leave scheme.”
But Dr Cleary questioned the $410 million over six years to extend income
management measures as the scheme is yet to prove itself successful and has been
criticised by many as paternalistic.
“We welcome the expansion of services such as financial counselling, education and
budgeting as well as the matched saving payment to help families control their
spending but remain opposed to income management,” said Dr Cleary.
“It is a blunt tool and a potentially punitive measure that does little to improve a
family’s ability to manage its own affairs without further education and support.
“A family’s ability to manage its own finances is inexorably linked to the cost of
housing, transport, utilities and other basic services.
“Any policy to improve outcomes for our most disadvantaged families must address
this web of issues and not seek to simply punish those unable to cope.”
In other areas, Anglicare welcomed the $660 million over four years for vocational
education including spending on skill development, apprenticeships and numeracy,
literacy and language courses but questioned the Rudd Government’s ability to
deliver on their promises after failing to meet many over the past 12 months.
“Last year’s targets for housing and education have not been met,” said Dr Cleary.
“Are this year’s number ‘pie in the sky’ dreaming or are they really deliverable?
“We will have to wait and see.”
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NEWS 
