MEDIA ALERT

Who: Cassandra Goldie, CEO, ACOSS, and Terese Edwards, CEO, National Council of Single Mothers & their Children
Press conference and rally by single mothers groups

When: 11am Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Where: Lawn in front of Parliament House, Canberra

No Budget surplus on the back of single parents and their children!

Leading welfare voices will come together on Tuesday to protest against the Federal Government’s decision to press ahead with damaging cuts to the payments of more than 100,000 single parents in defiance of two separate Committee recommendations.

The Commonwealth Government intends to push the legislation through the Senate tomorrow despite its own Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and the the Senate Standing Committees on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations recommending a delay until the end of the Inquiry into the adequacy of income support payments is complete in late November 2012.

“This is simply unacceptable and we urge our federal representatives on all sides of politics to oppose the unjust plan to slash between $60 and $100 from sole parents and their children at a time when they are doing it tough,” said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

“This is not the right way to achieve a Budget surplus, on the back of sole parents and their children. It’s cruel and unfair, especially for the children that will be severely affected!”

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Find out more about the campaign to Stop Cuts to Sole Parent Payments!