Leaked report highlights harsh welfare penalties
The Treasurer Peter Costello will deliver his 10th annual budget tomorrow, and welfare advocates are waiting with baited breath. Costello says that the major focus of this years’ budget will be getting people off welfare and back into work. But a leaked report from the Breaching Review Taskforce into the effectiveness of welfare penalties, has proved embarrassing for the government, with claims that existing penalities are harsh, unfair and counterproductive. Equally as controversial are plans to expand the powers of Job Network agencies, which would give private companies the powers to cut unemployment benefits. Michael Raper is the President of the National Welfare Rights Network and was a member of the Breaching Review Taskforce. 2SER’s Alma Mistry spoke to him about the leaked report.