CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Last night’s episode of QandA saw Australia’s most senior politicians questioned over whether they could live on $39 a day and why neither major party will commit to raising Newstart.
Labor representative, Tanya Plibersek, agreed with the questioner that the income allowance was “well below the poverty line”.
According to the questioner, The University of Canberra recommends raising welfare by $75 a week, which, according to their modelling, would cost about $2 billion – $49 billion dollars less than Scott Morrison has spent on seven submarines this year.
When asked if she could live on $39 a day, Ms Plibersek admitted she could not
“I agree something must be done” said Tanya.
“I’m just not sure what. I can’t guarantee it will go up or down”
“If it goes up then I’m seen making promises Bill has asked me not to make, and if it goes down then people will probably die during cold snaps and heatwaves”
“I’m gonna go ahead and say, yes, something will happen, but neither of those two things will”
The question was then directed to Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham, a prominent ‘battlefield promotion’ within the Coalition government – who is now a household name because anyone who can string a sentence together has jumped ship.
Birmingham said of course he could live off $39 a day, and anyone who couldn’t is an entitled leftie.
“Just lift yourselves up by your boot straps” he said.
“Like I did when I elected into the Federal Senate in my twenties”
When the question was directed to senator Richard Di Natale, the Greens Party leader, the audience members were treated to the first honest answer of the night.
“Fuck no I couldn’t live on that much money a day” said Di Natale.
“I spend $39 on buds before I even get out of bed”
“[smokers laugh]”
