Cassy O’Connor: The most savage Budget cuts in living memory …

… will hit Tasmania the hardest

Huge Cuts to Health, Housing and Welfare Support

The Abbott Government will go down in history as being the worst friend Tasmania never had, after delivering a Budget that will gut public hospital services, slash funding for affordable housing, consign young Tasmanians to homelessness and leave single parent families struggling even more to survive, Greens Health, Human Services and Youth spokesperson, Cassy O’Connor MP, said today.

“The test now is for Premier Hodgman, Peter Gutwein, Michael Ferguson and Jacquie Petrusma to say how they will respond to the Abbott Government’s attack on Tasmania and what they will do to buffer Tasmanians from the worst effects of this savage budget,” Ms O’Connor said.

“Commonwealth incentive funding for elective surgeries has been dramatically cut. What is Minister Ferguson going to do in order to deliver on his government’s promise to bring down elective surgery waiting lists when millions in Commonwealth funding has been cut across the Forward Estimates?”

“The sick and the poor will pay more for a visit to the GP, pay more for medicine and diagnostic tests. As the Australian Medical Association makes clear, this will place more pressure on a public hospital system which, as we now know, has just had a savage cut to funding.”

“The Budget was silent on homelessness funding worth $2.7 million a year in Commonwealth payments to Tasmania. These dollars provide homelessness services and supports to our most disadvantaged citizens, while the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) has been all but abandoned with a $235 million cut nationally. NRAS will have delivered over 1000 affordable homes to Tasmania within two years from now, significantly increasing housing supply, but that too is gone.”

“Harsh changes to Youth Allowance and New Start will leave young people destitute and without income support for six months of the year. The tragic consequence of this will be an increase in youth homelessness at a time when the Abbott Government seems to have abandoned the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.”

“Tasmanians on low incomes will also lose $9 million in concession supports while every one of the over a third of Tasmanians who receive Commonwealth income support will see the value of that support eroded over time as Centrelink payments are capped and/or tied to the Consumer Price Index.”

“Families and young people, the sick and the poor, will bear the brunt of this first Hockey Budget.”

“It is the most sick, twisted and ideologically brutal Federal Budget in living memory.”

“There is no question Tasmania will be hit harder than any other State and a $200 million upgrade to the Midlands Highway will be no consolation to those living on Struggle Street in a more divided, unequal nation.”

“Tasmania has been utterly betrayed by Premier Hodgman’s federal colleagues,” Ms O’Connor said.
Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Health and Human Services spokesperson