ED HUSIC MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE DIGITAL ECONOMY
MEMBER FOR CHIFLEY
MATT KEOGH
MEMBER FOR BURT
LABOR WILL INVEST IN FIVE NEW ABORIGINAL AND MULTICULTURAL SPECIALISTS FOR SOUTH EASTERN PERTH
A Shorten Labor Government will create five permanent full time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) and multicultural specialists jobs in the electorate of Burt.
This election will be a choice between quality services for our pensioners and families, versus more of the cruel cuts of the Liberals.
These five new and secure Department of Human Services (DHS) jobs will specifically assist and support the Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Perth's south-eastern suburbs as part of the 40 additional roles for local DHS offices announced in February 2019.
The south eastern suburbs are home to some of the largest culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the metropolitan area.
The City of Armadale in particular, is home to one of the largest Indigenous communities who would benefit from specialist services.
Government services must be accessible to support these communities.
The Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government has turned its back on the eastern suburbs, with a roll out of cuts to DHS and Centrelink that is leaving residents waiting longer to receive support.
Income support is complex and that's why it is important there are properly trained and permanent staff who are familiar with the personal circumstances facing income support recipients.
The Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government has cut and outsourced over 2,700 staff from DHS and Centrelink and cut thousands of public sector jobs across the country Australia.
These cuts have coincided with increased Centrelink phone wait times, and income support recipients being pushed to the edge of poverty waiting months for their payments.
These roles will be permanent and full-time, and staff will be properly trained to assist Australians on income support.
The 40 additional roles announced in February 2019 are expected to inject more than $3 million into the local economy each and every year.
Labor can afford this because we have made the tough decisions to make multinationals pay their fair share of tax, and close tax loopholes used by the top end of town.
We will also clamp down on blowouts in spending on contractors and consultants, and unnecessary and unreasonable travel.
Labor is focused on Western Australian jobs and services. We're listening to the local community and making the investments needed to build a stronger local economy and create genuine job opportunities.
