On a recent visit to Kwinana Mr Abbott claimed that we can’t afford to fund the school kids bonus. This claim is false. The fact is Australia has lower debt than the UK, US, Japan and Euro zone and we have lower taxes.
If Mr Abbott really believes we don’t have the money to fund the school kids bonus why doesn’t he support fixing the mining tax. Why doesn’t he support ending fossil fuel subsidies to the big miners? An improved mining tax and a 0.2% levy on the big banks could raise an additional $30 billion to invest in a caring society and protecting the environment. It’s a matter of what your priorities are.
In terms of what my own priorities are, and at the risk of being called a ‘bleeding heart’, I have to tell you that ‘it does’ break my heart when my teenage son comes home from school with stories about kids in his peer group going to school without lunch or lunch money. I acknowledge that there are a range of reasons why this is happening but no matter what the circumstances are it is not the kids fault. So I ask , how is Mr Abbotts plan to scrap the schoolkids bonus going affect these families? Add to the no lunch, no uniforms and no textbooks?
Needless to say I despair at the thought of Mr Abbott winning Government. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t get control of the Senate as well.
Dare To Care - Dawn Jecks 