Struggling Inner West jobseekers will welcome today’s news that the Abbott Government intends to back down on its 40 jobs a month plan.
Abbott’s original proposal, which he announced in May, would have forced jobseekers to apply for 40 jobs each month in order to receive income support.
Local businesses will also be relieved to see the Abbott Government back down on this issue.
Abbott’s original plan would have seen Inner West businesses sifting through hundreds of applications every month.
Since day one Labor has said this plan would not work.
It is an unfair policy aimed at punishing people on income support, rather than helping them.
Everyone but the Government knew it would only place unrealistic expectations on jobseekers and overwhelm businesses with red tape.
This back down comes in addition to recent findings by a Parliamentary committee that changes to income support for young job seekers breached human rights.
The Human Rights committee, chaired by Liberal Senator Dean Smith concluded Tony Abbott’s proposed six-month Newstart waiting period for people under-30 looking for work breaches the right to social security and the right to an adequate standard of living.
Despite this Tony Abbott confirmed just last week he is committed to leaving young jobseekers without income support for six months.
Young Australians struggling to find work need support, not punishment.