Thread by @twtrrr

Pretty disappointed with how #TheBusiness portrayed me. I told a much larger story than this, and though it is well summed up with an angst around affordability that doesn’t go away, including rent, petrol, food, essentials (not mentioned) it was so much more than that. #auspol

There was no mention of the #RoyMorgan #unemployment statistic of 8.5%, nor that the ABS figure of 4% is fanciful in not counting anyone as unemployed who works just one hour a week, or has weeks off having worked in the gig economy, or who is sick, injured, etc. #auspol

That employees are working those #jobs created by the need to clean up after the recent #floods. That right now employment going down - is to be expected - as the #casual labour market has soaked up the extra workers needed and under and unemployed people have stepped up. #auspol

Is the ABC having trouble speaking truth to power? I think this one of the most important questions to ask. It was a thirty minute interview with a lot of questions. It would be great if she’d actually covered most of what was said. Like the challenges of casual underemployment.

Like the fact you report earnings to @Centrelink every fortnight. Then at $256/fn earning the rate of JobSeeker is cut by sixty cents in the dollar. From earnings of $150/fn to $256 it’s fifty cents in the dollar. By the time you earn $540/ week you’re even. #Jobseekers #Casual

It was approx 30 minute interview with a lot of questions. It would be great if she’d actually covered most of what was said. When I told @RachelPupazzoni I was far more inclined to follow Roy Morgan’s figures - she didn’t like that. It’s fair criticism. It absolutely is. #auspol

The Business, 14 April 22, 8:45pm. ABC iView and possibly repeated later tonight on ABC 24.

If I don’t work I don’t pay the rent. What do I want? To reenrol and complete my double degree, to keep working - I must to ensure the essentials are covered. It’s not guaranteed. Why?

Rachel did get the angst of my not being sure I can financially cover things, I’m working a lot more now than I have most of the last few years. This last month or so especially. This means I still report my income and attract JobActive Mutual Obligations - I don’t have time for.

Miss a mutual obligations appointment, and they cut you off Centrelink payments. They make ot very difficult to get back on, this means you don’t even get the few extra pittance on slower work fortnights of $30 approx. you get further behind. If work dries up, you’re worse off.

If you’re working a lot you don’t have time to fix this. You might let it lapse as it asks too much if you and your time and you’re t from working. If the work stops now you’re in deep strife financially and it all needs to be done urgently, and they don’t do urgent easily.

This is a selfie taken the same day as the interview. I do like books.

*and you’re too exhausted from working.

When it comes to tax. As an employee you report your income to Centrelink as a #gross amount, the fifty and sixty cents of the dollar taken out past $150
to $256/ fn is from the Gross amount, not the Net. These are gross figures. You get less again. You pay #tax already on that.

https://twitter.com/inghambrett/status/1514592078810218501

Once you earn $540/week you get no #JobSeeker payment. This amount is less than the $550/week Covid stimulus payment that set the rate at the Henderson Poverty line amount. The earnings are take from a gross amount. JobSeeker isn’t taxed, it’s net. It’s Poverty creation. #auspol

#RaiseTheRate #auspol Poverty entrenchment should never happen at the hands of civil society. Especially not a society so rich as Australia. This is deliberate, and cruel. #IncreaseEarningsCapacity #RaiseRentAssistance #ConcessionTransport @AlboMP @ScottMorrisonMP @AdamBandt

It’s called #TheBusiness it now seems very telling that it’s not called #OurBusiness #auspol @abcnews

.@RachelPupazzoni gave the poor a voice at least. But did she give us a chance? Not really. #JournalismIsNotACrime #auspol

@threadreaderapp unrol please. Namaste 🙏

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