On Tuesday May 9 the Federal Budget was handed down in Canberra.
There were a number of new measures introduced by the Government which will impact residents throughout our local community.
A new school funding education model was introduced, which while was an improvement on the Government’s last attempt, will still cut $22 billion dollars from schools over the next decade.
This will particularly impact our local Catholic schools who will lose the most funding from the changes.
The age to access the pension will be lifted to 70 years old meaning that Australia will have the oldest pension age in the developed world.
The Energy Supplement to new pensioners, people with disability, carers and Newstart recipients will also be cut. This will mean a cut of $14.10 per fortnight to single pensioners or $365 a year and a cut of $21.20 per fortnight to couple pensioners or around $550 a year.
Changes to Family Tax Benefits which will also mean that 12,000 families in the electorate will lose their $354 as a result of the abolition of the Family Tax Benefit Part B End of Year Supplement.
The Medicare rebate freeze will be lifted, however it will be a staggered process over the next 2 years. The freeze will remain on GP and specialist consultations until 2018 and specialist procedures and allied health services until 2019.
In the week prior to the budget I was pleased to see our community come together for the Hands Off Our Services rally that I attended with Shadow Minister Jenny Macklin MP and councillor Charles Strunk.
The message from locals was loud and clear that our community won’t stand by and watch as vital services remained under threat.
I’m happy to report that since then the Federal Government has removed some of the remaining ‘Zombie’ measures from the 2014 budget where some community services were included in $13 billion dollars’ worth of cuts.
I was pleased to speak on this in Parliament and see that our essential community services remain protected.
As always, if there is every anything I can help with please get in touch with my office on 3879 6440 or send me an email at Milton.Dick.MP@aph.gov.au
