Can Australia afford welfare reform?

The Democrats have just come across a letter that will lead to aged pensioners being breached for not checking their eligibility for overseas pensions.

Yet another piece of evidence that the Government will not be a willing partner in finding a formula that works for those Australians that need assistance comes from Minister Tony Abbott. His recent attack on St Vincent de Paul, asserting that it is not qualified to take part in the debate on welfare, just to deliver it, was another astonishing government statement.

My colleague, Senator John Woodley, a Uniting Church minister himself, pointed out that, as a former catholic seminarian, Minister Abbott should have remembered that the Gospel says: "I was hungry and you fed me" - not "I was hungry and you asked me to fulfil the mutual obligation policy".

This government believes that Australia's charities can and should work at the coalface - do the hard yards to deliver welfare support on the ground - but under no circumstances are they to be involved in the debate. The policies of the Federal Government seek to shift income support from the government arena to the family and community. The clear message is that people ought to be relying on the charity sector, rather than relying on any right to a minimum income.

By ruthlessly cutting benefits, this government's policies simply drive people deeper into poverty. This is a clear move to charity-based, privatised welfare systems akin to the 'poor law' system in 17 - 19th century England where the focus of help was the family and parish rather than the State.

A survey of 20,000 people, conducted by the St Vincent De Paul Society, found that as people are forced to live for long periods with less payment, or no payment at all, the burden of welfare support simply shifts from the government to charitable organisations like St Vincent De Paul. Charities simply can not cope with demand.

The evidence is clear and the government must be aware of it. A substantial group of Australians is being left behind. The Democrats do not and will not accept that we cannot afford quality public housing, public education and public health systems, or a strong income support system. We can. If we don't it is a political decision, not an economic one.

The 'average Australian' must be convinced that it is fair and reasonable to ensure all Australians have access to a basic income. We must show clearly that all of us are ultimately the losers if some Australians cannot put food on the table or be sure they will have a roof over their heads.