Did Coalition MPs ask for Permanent Jobseeker Increase?

Should the Higher (COVID-19) Jobseeker rate be made permanent?.

A news headline today shows: “Coalition MPs ask for permanent jobseeker increase“, with the words used in the story being: “MPs from within the government are asking the prime minister, Scott Morrison, to make the higher jobseeker rate permanent when the coronavirus pandemic is over”, Daniel Hurst reports.

Note: the Term “Jobseeker” is the new name for “Newstart Allowance“, the Australian Unemployment benefit.


Jobseeker Rate Permanent Rise


The reporter says that the MPs want to make the higher jobseeker rate permanent, even after the pandemic is over.

However, the actual wording is different to the news headline.

One of these MPs actually used these words: “the effective doubling of the allowance formerly known as Newstart should continue well beyond the six-month deadline  …  and I would like to see the coronavirus supplement extended for a further six months to do this.”


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Nationals MP and former PM Tony Abbott join push for doubling of the dole to be retained until job market bounces back.  That sounds more temporary than permanent.

More like… Keep the higher rate until people get their jobs back, then back down again?

This headline is a slightly more accurate one, with the real info shown below it.


Jobseeker Rate Temporary Rise until jobs come back


What would a higher Jobseeker rate really cost?.

What would it really cost the taxpayer to increase the Jobseeker allowance permanently, and would that mean that Pensions would also have to rise to maintain the difference?

That might be a scary figure..

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