Biscuitfeatures

Middle class Australian families are struggling to afford groceries (don’t even ask about us low income earners). The cost of living is rising at a crazy rate, across every area - food, bills, mortgage/rent, etc.

This feels like the kind of crisis the government should be responding to, but what sort of actions could they take to reduce the financial stress being faced by low and middle income families? Because I feel like it’s time to get loud about requesting that.

#auspol #costofliving #lowincome #middleincome #financialcrisis #petition

Feb 27, 2023 at 6:34amWeb
Show threadIvyFeb 27, 2023
@sleepysloth Universal basic income.
Show threadBiscuitfeaturesFeb 27, 2023
@IvyLilacs technically we have that, don’t we? Centrelink provides income to anyone without, but it’s shit all (pardon my French) and they make you jump through hoops to get it. And doesn’t help the families earning $200k+ who are suddenly struggling to buy groceries, as they aren’t eligible.
Show threadIvyFeb 27, 2023
@sleepysloth UBI isn't means tested or requiring constant navigation to maintain. So not really. Also CL payments do not cover cost of living.
Show threadDavidBFeb 27, 2023
@sleepysloth
Tax the rich and corporation super profits and watch inflation reduce.
Show threadJ👀Feb 27, 2023

@sleepysloth

I still do not understand the situation. Inflation is around 7%, but the price of groceries, petrol, rent, services, etc. have increased by much more (I would estimate 30 - 40%). So how on earth do they calculate inflation? Because I do not believe there is anything that has become much cheaper to counter balance the final rate.

Show threadsortiusFeb 27, 2023

@sleepysloth it's been almost a year since Albo said he'd "govern for all Australians" and that "no one will be left behind".

He left us behind the moment he said that, he left us behind when he refused to #RaiseTheRate, he left us behind when he deployed the Coalition's new JobSeeker punishment program.

The worst part of this is that Albo used his dead mum to sell his credentials to poor people. Sickening

#auspol

Show threadBiscuitfeaturesFeb 27, 2023
@sortius and here I thought for one brief, happy moment that we had a PM who truly understood 😒
Show threadsortiusFeb 27, 2023
@sleepysloth nope, we got a PM like the last... well, forever
Show threadBiscuitfeaturesFeb 27, 2023
@sortius it honestly boggles me that we still bother to call it a democracy. After the election, anything goes. They try to tell us that our vote counts but I’ve yet to see the public get any real say in what goes on in this country.
Show threadsortiusFeb 27, 2023

@sleepysloth our votes count, but they count for nothing if people convince themselves that the Labor party are a "left wing party". They haven't been since at least Keating, if not earlier.

I'm not sure what the answer is, because the excuse is always "The Greens are a party of protest", despite that not being true. Other than The Greens, there's not much on the left side of politics at a national level

Show threadBiscuitfeaturesFeb 27, 2023
@sortius that’s the real problem, isn’t it? It’s not a true democracy if it’s really just “labour vs the coalition” and they’re both as bad as each other. The greens are an improvement but for many Christians (myself included) some of their social policies in particular are a little *too* left. A solid middle left option with an actual chance at having a real voice in parliament, better political education for all demographics, etc, would be amazing.