Bill Shorten, who is the government services minister has said that he could not live on the present dole, or Jobseeker rate. On, why not Bill, you no doubt have your house all paid off, a nice car, and enough fancy suits? What more would you need? Food is no doubt a luxury good. One could always dumpster dive in the bins around parliament House Canberra. Why not give it a go, say for two weeks, just to see how the other three quarters live?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/apr/19/australia-news-live-david-pocock-jobseeker-cost-of-living-crisis-budget-dominion-fox-news-indigenous-voice?fbclid=IwAR3VRYYgprjlhyr3WnIoD-_k5WAJUP0uQo3dHsu1LNqfPDDJB9qq_kaBVEI
“The government services minister, Bill Shorten, has admitted he couldn’t live on the current jobseeker rate, telling Sky News this morning “I couldn’t live on it”.
However, he can’t say the government will support the raise its own independent committee has recommended:
The decision about raising any rate, it’s going to be one for the government and our economic team. We can only do what is responsible and sustainable and unfortunately the budget that we inherited from the previous government is heaving with a trillion dollars of Liberal debt. So [we] can’t do everything.”
What this translate as is: we will not do anything. They are too busy burning up money on woke issues such as the voice referendum.