Swan a Serial Scarer – Families are Better Off

Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Amanda Vanstone, today warned journalists that they should double check information given to them by the Member for Lilley.

“Wayne Swan’s claims that large families are worse off under the GST are misleading and wrong,” Senator Vanstone said.

“Over the weekend Wayne Swan cynically tried to use a low income family with 7 children to make a cheap political point.

“He got it wrong.

“He claims that a family with 7 children under 11 and an annual wage of $33,000 would get barely $2.50 GST compensation per child per week in extra family payments.

“In total, a family like this would get $23,187 per year or $446 per week in family payments administered by Centrelink.

“The fact is that a family in the circumstances described by the Sunday Herald Sun gets an extra $55 per week in their family payments after the introduction of Family Tax Benefit.

“With tax cuts of $17 per week in addition, a family in these circumstances would see their disposable income increased by $72 per week or 8% in total.

“Family Tax Benefit is a massive achievement. 2.2 million Australian families with over 4 million children have benefited from the new Family Tax Benefit introduced on 1 July 2000. This is over 90% of all Australian families with dependent children.

“Wayne Swan is prepared to play fast and loose with the facts to sneak back into power. Journalists should not follow him.”