The Abbott Government has again demonstrated that it will heap pressure upon hardworking Australians while rewarding big corporations.
Speaking following the release of the Intergenerational Report today, ACTU President Ged Kearney said the report ignored the Government’s budget cuts that will put Australia’s future prosperity at risk.
“This report is riddled with strategic silences about key cuts that if reversed, would address the very issues raised in the intergenerational report,” Ms Kearney said.
Mr Hockey’s report talks about:
- The importance of superannuation yet ignores the Government’s decision to delay the superannuation guarantee increase to 12% which will cost working Australians around $128 billion in lost super savings or that terminating the low income super contribution will that mean many people on low incomes, in particular women, could be $27,000 worse off when they retire.
- New technology, science and innovation as key sources of future productivity growth, but fails to mention the cuts the Government has made to CSIRO and other industry programs or the $1 billion it cut from skills and training in the budget.
- Increasing women’s workforce participation but ignores the fact that the Government has done nothing to increase childcare funding.
“Instead, we get further confirmation that the Abbott Government wants hardworking Australians to do the heavy lifting so it can reward its business mates with tax cuts.”
Ms Kearney said that Australian workers are sick of bearing the brunt of the Government’s response to the policy challenges it faces.
“Australian workers are doing their bit – they’re working hard and labour productivity growth remains strong,” Ms Kearney said.
“What we need to talk about is how we boost productivity over the longer term through investment in infrastructure, skills and training, improving management capacity, boosting wages, boosting spending, creating jobs.
“You can’t cut your way to growth and Australian’s have made it crystal clear that they do not want to see an American style working poor which is exactly where the Coalition policies are taking us.”
Media contact: Carla De Campo 0410 579 575 or 0418 793 885
