Families can’t trust Tony Abbott

Just a day after he voted to try to stop Australian families receiving the Gillard Government’s Schoolkids bonus, Tony Abbott has confirmed families are at risk of having thousands of dollars a year ripped away under an Abbott Liberal Government.

Asked about the Gillard Government’s boost to family payments on Sky news this morning, Mr Abbott said he couldn’t say that the family payments announced in the Budget would be there forever.

Australian families just can’t trust an Abbott Liberal Government.

The Liberals are now putting at risk:

• A boost to Family Tax Benefit Part A of up to $600 a year.
• Household assistance payments of up to $110 per child a year for families receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A and $69 a year for families receiving Family Tax Benefit Part B.

In contrast, and despite the delaying tactics and negativity of the Liberals, the Gillard Government yesterday passed our Schoolkids bonus, a payment of $820 a year for children in secondary school and $410 for children in primary school for families receiving FTB A.

The Gillard Government understands that families on low and middle incomes are feeling the pinch. We know they need a bit of extra support to help them make ends meet, which is why we are delivering this extra support. But the Liberals don’t think families deserve it.

It’s time Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey and the Liberals stopped standing in the way of support for Australian families.