Thread by @lukehgomes

Hi! I thought it might be useful to start a #AusVotes19 welfare thread pulling together some of the interesting news and analysis that emerges during the election campaign. There have already been a few great pieces. (I'll also shamelessly plug my own work.) #auspol

.@DawsonEJ makes the case for making the best of Labor's "root and branch" #Newstart review. Demand it is fast, wide-ranging, and the increases it delivers are sufficient, she says smh.com.au/politics/feder… #AusVotes19 #auspol

@DawsonEJ Waleed Aly today argues that, despite all the talk of a fair go from Morrison and Shorten, "#Newstart remains stalled because, for now at least, our notion of fairness is tied to the worker." theage.com.au/politics/feder… #AusVotes19 #auspol

@DawsonEJ For what it's worth, neither Morrison nor Shorten mentioned the unemployed, #Newstart or welfare payments in their opening pitches yesterday. (Morrison did talk about unemployment in economic terms) #AusVotes19

@DawsonEJ #RaisetheRate campaigners upping pressure on Labor in key marginals that have above average numbers of #Newstart recipients theaustralian.com.au/nation/politic… #auspol #AusVotes19

@DawsonEJ In her opinion piece on #Newstart, Jenna Price quotes Cassandra Goldie saying there is "an out-of-date view that demonising poor people resonates with the community" canberratimes.com.au/story/6029159/… #auspol

@DawsonEJ Bill Shorten was asked about #Newstart today: Asked if Labor's review would inevitably lead to an increase, he said: "I think there has to be. But let's see
what happens with the review. We're not holding a review to lower it." #auspol #ausvotes19

@DawsonEJ As far as I remember, Shorten had previously only said Newstart was "too low" as way of implying it would be increased without committing

@DawsonEJ Question: Isn't it time to strengthen Australia's safety net (by increasing #Newstart)?

Scott Morrison: "We have one of the best safety nets, if not the best safety net, of anywhere in the world in our country." #auspol #AusVotes19

@DawsonEJ Counterpoint: Acoss says that "Australia has the lowest rate of unemployment payment in the OECD". #AusVotes19 #auspol

@DawsonEJ .@SenatorSiewert seizes on the questions asked of the PM and Shorten to say she reckons #Newstart has become an election issue. #auspol #AusVotes19

@DawsonEJ @SenatorSiewert We'll see.

@DawsonEJ @SenatorSiewert Election welfare news! The Coalition is making changes to the #ParentsNext program - but welfare groups unlikely to be appeased theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes19

@DawsonEJ @SenatorSiewert For those interested in the specifics (like parents themselves!), here is what is happening #parentsnext #auspol #ausvotes19

My story today: New evidence a huge proportion of homeless jobseekers getting #Newstart payments suspended, despite the government promising “protections for the most vulnerable”. theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #AusVotes19

To put in to context: 55,714 homeless or at-risk people who get payments such as Newstart received a suspension between July and December. At 31 December, there were 58,878 homeless or at-risk jobseekers #auspol

It should be noted the total number over that six-month period would be greater as people moved in and out of the system. #auspol

The rate of #Newstart has become an election issue, at least according to some; less talked about are the compliance policies that run alongside #Newstart. I asked Labor if they would keep the same compliance regime; they would not say. #auspol

Our series on poverty launches today – Left behind: the Australians neither political party wants to discuss theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol

.@Gay_Alcorn unpicks how we got where we are – and what is stopping us doing something about it theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol

@Gay_Alcorn .@PaulFletcherMP is addressing the Acoss breakfast now. #auspol

@Gay_Alcorn @PaulFletcherMP .@PaulFletcherMP is asked if it's inevitable that #Newstart will go up. He doesn't say - instead just saying the current policy framework is right. #auspol

@Gay_Alcorn @PaulFletcherMP Basically he said no, while not addressing the specific inevitability question #auspol

@Gay_Alcorn @PaulFletcherMP .@Bowenchris repeats the mantra that Labor's #newstart review is not proposed to "lower it". He suggests a review is required because of the complexity of the system and because Labor currently does not have the resources of govt #auspol #BudgetBreaky

@Gay_Alcorn @PaulFletcherMP @Bowenchris (#RaiseTheRate advocates have pointed out that Labor has proposed reform in other complex areas, such as tax) #auspol #budgetbreaky

@Gay_Alcorn @PaulFletcherMP @Bowenchris Bowen on the case for a #Newstart review, rather than a commitment: “Don’t think it’s any concern about the politics of the issue, it is a concern to get it right and we do have to be fiscally prudent as well ...It is a concern to get the big calls correct.” #auspol #BudgetBreaky

@Gay_Alcorn @PaulFletcherMP @Bowenchris Bowen had no interest in echoing Bill Shorten's "I think it has to be (increased)" hints on #Newstart this morning #BudgetBreaky #auspol

@Gay_Alcorn @PaulFletcherMP @Bowenchris On Bowen's suggestion the #Newstart review is not about politics, there are also these comments from Linda Burney... smh.com.au/politics/feder… #auspol #ausvotes19

@Gay_Alcorn @PaulFletcherMP @Bowenchris Here's my write up on the @ACOSS #BudgetBreaky with Paul Fletcher And Chris Bowen's responses to #RaiseTheRate questions theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #AusVotes19

Apologies I have been unwell so missed a few great Graun welfare pieces worth readings. Here are a few:

.@GrogsGamut breaks down the situation in a series of graphs (that even I could understand) theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #AusVotes2019

And @lucykateclark circles back to the incredible Life on the Breadline series theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #AusVotes2019

.@murpharoo explains what the "fair go for those who have a go" mantra really means theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #AusVotes2019

My latest for @GuardianAus’ Fair Go? series theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #AusVotes19

.@NickEvershed has this interactive map of disadvantage in Australia theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes

My story today on #Newstart: there is huge support for an increase among Labor and Coalition voters, a poll shows. theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes

I am reminded of Linda Burney's comments apparently explaining why Labor had to go slow on #Newstart: “... for a change in the rate of Newstart, you’ve also got to win the argument in public”. #auspol #ausvotes

More from our Fair Go? series – Stuck on #Newstart: Nijole Naujokas wonders: ‘I don’t understand why more people aren’t angry’ theguardian.com/australia-news… #ausvotes #auspoI

@NickEvershed Please read @RoyceRk2, who spoke to our Life on the Breadline writer Amethyst DeWilde about surviving on the DSP for @guardianaus' Fair Go? series theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus As Royce writes: "Over the last decade the system has evolved in a scattergun fashion since the Gillard government changed how applications are assessed to refocus the system away from a persons’ medical condition and made it about their capacity to work." #auspol #ausvotes

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus That has lead us here: theguardian.com/australia-news…

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus I believe this is new from Labor. Brendan O'Connor told Hack this afternoon Labor will scrap the Path internships program abc.net.au/triplej/progra… #auspol #ausvotes19

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus Fair to say there have been some issues with Path. theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus Kelly O'Dwyer told Hack Labor's decision to scrap Path was "shocking". #auspol #ausvotes

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus On Jobactive, O'Dwyer describes the government's announced changes as a "radical overhaul" of the program. #auspol #ausvotes

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus Kelly O'Dwyer also says Jobactive has placed 1.3 million people into work since 2015. This is wrong, it is 1.3 million "placements". The figure includes thousands of jobseekers who have been "placed" multiple times #auspol #ausvotes

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus This data is a bit older, but gives a sense of the likely real figures #auspol #ausvotes

@NickEvershed @RoyceRk2 @GuardianAus Some news yesterday: Morrison says it could be coming to Adelaide's suburbs adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-aus… #auspol #ausvotes

Domestic violence victim forced on to #ParentsNext welfare program in 'horrifying' case theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes

Our latest FairGo? piece is here >>> Poverty and ageing: 'we're swept under the carpet and pushed aside' theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes

Some interesting comments from Bill Shorten on poverty in this @murpharoo. More a values than policy based discussion - and perhaps there are conclusions to draw from that too - but it's a good insight theguardian.com/australia-news…

@murpharoo Turnbull government minister for welfare has a problem with welfare smh.com.au/national/turnb… via @smh #auspol #ausvotes

@murpharoo @smh Here is my feature on #Jobactive – and how it is failing the most needy jobseekers – as part of @GuardianAus's Fair Go? #ausvotes series theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes

.@David_Speers asked Josh Frydenberg and Chris Bowen why neither party has given a "firm commitment" to increase #Newstart at their #NPC debate today. #ausvotes

Frydenberg rattled off the usual talking points (neither of which address the adequacy of the payment itself). He says: 99% of people on #Newstart get other payments; two-thirds get into a job within 12 months. #ausvotes

Frydenberg says two-thirds get off #Newstart within a year. As I reported on the weekend, 40% of those on payments will still be on them in two years, while 1 in 5 have been in the #Jobactive system for more than five years.theguardian.com/australia-news… #ausvotes #Newstart #jobactive

.@Bowenchris on people calling for a "firm commitment" to #RaiseTheRate. "We are not doing that. We recognise there are issues which need the resources of a proper Government review to examine which is our commitment." #ausvotes #npc #Newstart

Bowen's language on #Newstart has definitely been more cautious than other Labor MPs, including Shorten. Days after Shorten said it "has to" increase, Bowen wouldn't repeat the same language. Even more cautious today theguardian.com/australia-news… #ausvotes #NPC

.@billshortenmp on Labor's #Newstart review: "I do not know the number we will come up with at the end of the review. But I am not reviewing it to keep it the way it is."

https://twitter.com/QandA/status/1125369806440394753

#ausvotes #qanda

Shorten referred to #Newstart as $265 a week. It's currently $277.85 pw. (I'm not having a go.) #ausvotes #qanda

The Country Women's Association (@CWAofA) has backed the #RaiseTheRate #Newstart campaign. #ausvotes #auspol

The @FCRCVictoria has surveyed 100 clients who access financial counselling and are on #Newstart as they back the #RaiseTheRate campaign.

- 83/100 had relied on food banks to get by
- 52/100 were in housing arrears
- 42/100 had experienced homelessness

More below. #ausvotes

Good @theprojecttv feature on homelessness and the election: "It's a crisis all parties should be working to fix." tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/th… #ausvotes

This is complex but worth your time. From our Fair Go? series. #ausvotes

https://twitter.com/SydneyPolicyLab/status/1125594620686004224

Labor MP @JulianHillMP took up John's case, which he described as "disgraceful" and blamed on Centrelink staffing levels and outsourcing. theguardian.com/australia-news… #auspol #ausvotes

Good election piece on the Basics Card in the NT by @EmiliaTerzon abc.net.au/news/2019-05-0… #ausvotes #auspol

Labor has been criticising #robodebt years. Bill Shorten used it to attack the Coalition on #qanda on Monday. But will would they scrap the scheme? Months after the 2017 senate report, they still won’t say theguardian.com/australia-news… #ausvotes #auspol