Why won’t Tony Abbott commit to helping families?

Australian families are at risk of having thousands of dollars a year ripped away under an Abbott Liberal Government, after Tony Abbott threatened to roll back the Gillard Government’s support.

Speaking on the ABC’s AM program this morning, Mr Abbott said families would ‘have to wait and see’ whether the Liberals would support the payments announced in last night’s budget in the long term.

Mr Abbott’s Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey, has already said the Opposition will try and block the Gillard Government’s new Schoolkids Bonus.

The Liberals are now putting at risk:

• A boost to Family Tax Benefit Part A of up to $600 a year.
• The Schoolkids bonus of $820 a year for children in secondary school and $410 for children in primary school.
• 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.

Families just can’t trust the Liberals.

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.