Article: Parties non-committal about PT concessions

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Parties non-committal about PT concessions

Parties non-committal about PT concessions
March 13, 2012 - 3:00AM

Queensland's two major political parties have rejected calls to offer the unemployed public transport concessions to help them find work.

As it stands, Queensland is the only state not to offer public transport subsidies to the unemployed.

Unemployment concessions for public transport was one of five key issues raised by the Queensland Council of Social Service with the Labor and Liberal National parties yesterday.

While neither major party would offer public transport concessions to the unemployed, providing discounted public transport costs formed part of the Queensland Greens' transport policy.

Queensland's unemployment rate was 5.4 per cent in January 2012, above the national unemployment rate of 5.2 per cent.

QCOSS sought a $134 million boost over three years to cover improvements in affordable housing, family services and public transport concessions for the unemployed.

QCOSS president Karyn Walsh said discounts for public transport could be a major assistance to help the unemployed find work.

"We think Queensland needs to match what other states do and that people who are unemployed need to use public transport," she said.

"The recent policy change where you free public transport after (you pay for) 10 trips is helpful, but it is not enough."

Ms Walsh said Queensland governments had in the past simply argued it was too expensive.

"We have tried to find out what it would cost, but one of the problems is not knowing the 'take up' rate," she said.

"However Brisbane had a free public transport day recently and I think it demonstrated that free transport provides not only environmental outcomes, but it was taken up by a lot of people and I think it would have great social outcomes as well."

Minister for Housing, Communities and Women Karen Struthers said Labor had already increased concessions, but did not answer why no public transport cuts could be offered to the unemployed.

"The way to help people who are on fixed incomes, who won't be in the workforce - pensioners and others - is to have a strong safety net, and we have increased those (concessions) by 57 per cent," she said.

Shadow Treasurer Tim Nicholls said the LNP could give no commitment until it had "looked at the government books".

However, Mr Nicholls gave an undertaking to look at the situation if the LNP won office, and noted the increase in public transport fares.

"It is certainly something we would be willing to look at," the former Brisbane City councillor said.

"I know back in the council days, one of the issues we had was providing some relief for people who are catching public transport while they are looking for work.

"So it is certainly something we would look at, but nothing that I can announce or say something about today."

The Queensland Greens, however, promised to extend the public transport concession to holders of a Commonwealth Government Low Income Health Care Card, in line with other states.

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said they had long backed the change.

"We have always supported QCOSS call here with respect to this," he said.

Mr Dow said many unemployed people got "caught up" in a spiral of fare evasion, which made the job hunting situation worse.

"And some of them are getting some pretty serious serial fare evasion offences," he said.

Instead Ms Struthers said an extra 4000 new units and affordable houses had been provided over the "past few years" to provide help to people on low incomes.

However QCOSS this morning said there were still 27,000 Queenslanders who were officially homeless.

"In fact Queensland has the second highest rate of homeless in Australia," their five-point study pointed out this morning

Mr Nicholls said he supported the QCOSS recommendation to set up a "sovereign wealth fund" with a percentage of mining royalties to cover new social services if the LNP wins office.

QCOSS has requested the following commitments from parties contesting the state election:

    $2 million for a centre for excellence to work out which services work and which ones don't;
    $70 million for family support services that will make a difference to people;
    $60 million to provide extra disability and mental health assistance;
    $60 million boost to the affordable housing strategy in Queensland; and
    a percentage of mining royalties towards "Fairer Queensland Investment Fund".


Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/state-election-2012/parties-noncommittal-about-pt-concessions-20120312-1uuas.html

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Families despair with a pineapple to spare

[#Metro]

This is really sad.

I think it is disgusting that concessions are happily given to those who do not need it and are clearly better off and have more than enough cash to pay (Frequent user discount - 10 then free or 9 then free) but people on the HCC aren't given that.

I would gladly remove the 9 then free initiative of the LNP to fund the HCC discounts. I don't think it is unaffordable at all, certainly not more unaffordable than the 10 then free or 9 then free initiatives.

Disgusting.

[ozbob]

This is really sad.

I think it is disgusting that concessions are happily given to those who do not need it and are clearly better off and have more than enough cash to pay (Frequent user discount - 10 then free or 9 then free) but people on the HCC aren't given that.

I would gladly remove the 9 then free initiative of the LNP to fund the HCC discounts. I don't think it is unaffordable at all, certainly not more unaffordable than the 10 then free or 9 then free initiatives.

Disgusting.

+1

[Barbar]

As far as PT goes the ALP, LNP and KAP rate the unemployed as invisible in the smart state; but they forget the unemployed also have a vote.

[#Metro]

If we assume that political parties are rational (at least the larger ones with a big base) then we find
they become constrained when dealing with issues at either extreme - very poor people or very rich.

This is called director's law:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director%27s_Law

Isn't it funny that concessions are given precisely to those who do not actually need them... middle class people (commuters) off to their high paying (although they would swear blind that it wasn't) job in the Brisbane CBD. At least they have a job to actually go to in the morning!

The very rich don't take public transport - busting the argument that "only rich people can take PT" as well. (This is also a limiting factor in fare rises). Rich people can afford luxury cars, tolls, buy their own car park in the CBD and because their time is extremely valuable, aren't going to be seen on PT...

Another reason why I am totally and completely against wholesale, across-the-board, untargeted fare reductions in the name and purpose of "public welfare". Welfare measures should be targeted to those who need them.

[#Metro]

Most interviews are done during the day, so the fares are reduced cost anyway, how much lower do we go! I do support that fares incurred going to an geniune interview should at least get some support how this is done I'm not sure, but perhaps if they need money to pay for a trip to an interview then a return paper ticket should be provided by Social security. Or can claim back the ticket with proof of attendence.

Gee whiz, what's next - commuters to qualify for the 10 trips then free offer, bring your ATO tax return to TransLink for stamping!

Why can't we just do what other states do and give HCC holders the concession rate.

Ability to pay comes into this - $480 per week, sans rent, sans food, sans utilities leaves not much at all.

[Barbar]

Most interviews are done during the day, so the fares are reduced cost anyway, how much lower do we go! I do support that fares incurred going to an geniune interview should at least get some support how this is done I'm not sure, but perhaps if they need money to pay for a trip to an interview then a return paper ticket should be provided by Social security. Or can claim back the ticket with proof of attendence.

Handing out wholesale cash or discounts doesn't work.

rtt_rules just a couple of points to note:

By "Social security" I assume you refer to the small cluster of private sector job services agencies, e.g Mission Australia, who are contracted by the federal government to offer various types of assistance as determined by an unemployed persons quantified "stream level"?...oh what a beauty the unemployment industry has become!

These agencies (or Centrelink) don't hand out cash or offer a PT ticket claim back service;

However, on registration with an agency and based on that agency's  stream level policy; a registered client may or may not qualify for job hunting travel assistance in the form of a petrol credit card, assuming you own a vehicle, (and can afford to run it) or have access to a vehicle, or, a credit voucher to top up a Go Card...it's worth noting that the amount of credit issued, e.g  $20, is purely at the discretion of the agency client case manager and more importantly, is further dependent on the amount of funds set aside for such assistance within the agency's weekly budget......in other words, this assistance is not guaranteed.

So, if a job services agency client wishes attend a genuine job interview but only qualifies as a level one streamer, who happens to catch his/her case manager having a bad day and also has the misfortune to request travel assistance when the agency money pot is empty..... then I guess its just hard cheese, right?













   

[#Metro]

What a waste of time and resources and a huge impost in more administration and personal leg work.
Extend the concession to Health Care Card holders. Very simple - flash the card and get the discount.

They're on low wages! The price should be reduced to reflect this on these grounds in their own right.

[Barbar]

What a waste of time and resources and a huge impost in more administration and personal leg work.
Extend the concession to Health Care Card holders. Very simple - flash the card and get the discount.

They're on low wages! The price should be reduced to reflect this on these grounds in their own right.

+1 

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

20th May 2012

Extend concession public transport to all health care card holders and unemployed

Greetings,

Our new State Government has trumpeted that public transport fares will now increase 7.5% instead of the planned 15% for 2013 and 2014.  Fare increases of 7.5% is still much greater than CPI, pension increases and so forth.  On top of the 65% increases over the last 4 years fare affordability is reaching a crisis point for many. QCOSS has lobbied extensively for concession public transport fares be extended to all health care card holders.  We support QCOSS, Queensland is the only state not to offer this concession.

Some background.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/state-election-2012/call-for-unemployed-to-get-transport-discounts-20120312-1uuas.html

http://www.qcoss.org.au/sites/default/files/Transport%20Forum%20Report.pdf

It is time Queensland Government extended concession travel to the struggling unemployed.

Best wishes,

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[p858snake]

As someone on the NewStart Allowance (Job hunting benefit) I will throw in a couple of figures to the thread:

I travel from Toombul -> Banyo station. (I'm lucky and got something "local")

I get a $20 fortnightly PT travel benefit due to my Work for the dole requirements (Max you can get apparently)

I spend $7.16 daily and I volunteer four days a week (on average) so that is $28.64 a week

$57.28 is what I spend in a fortnight in PT.

If I was getting a concession (eg: They counted my health care card) that would be dropped down to:
$3.58 a day or $14.32 a week ($28.64 F/Night)