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Angus Taylor, the Opposition Leader, has announced that a future Coalition government would implement a policy to limit welfare benefits exclusively to Australian citizens. This proposal is set to be unveiled in Taylor’s budget response on Thursday night, clearly aiming to capture the support of voters currently leaning towards One Nation.
The policy is expected to stir significant controversy as it would impact not only permanent residents but also other non-citizens residing in Australia. The range of payments that could be restricted includes crucial support like the family tax benefit, carer payment, Austudy, and the farm household allowance.
Under Taylor’s proposed plan, access to 17 different welfare payments and benefits would be restricted to those holding Australian citizenship. This move is likely to spark a heated debate over the fairness and implications for many residents who contribute to the Australian community but do not yet hold citizenship.
The payments that would be affected range from the family tax benefit and carer payment to Austudy and the farm household allowance.
Under the plan, access to 17 welfare payments and benefits would be available only to Australian citizens.
At present, newly-arrived residents can obtain these benefits with either no wait or waits of up to four years.
Eligibility for the age pension and disability support pension would still need a ten year residency requirement, but be limited to citizens.
As well, there would be specific exemptions to cover for some defence, intelligence and law enforcement arrangements.
The opposition also says the Coalition would continue to honour existing international social security agreements.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has outlined the coalition’s plan to cut welfare for migrants
Existing arrangements would be kept for eligible New Zealand Special Category visa holders currently covered under the NDIS framework.
Taylor told a Thursday news conference his budget reply would have a focus on ‘putting Australians first’.
He said the restricted access would not apply to health services.
‘We’ve got, right now, a government that is slashing support for private health insurance for older Australians, and at the same time dishing out billions and billions of dollars to people in this country who are not citizens for welfare,’ Taylor said.
‘That’s not fair on hardworking Australian citizens. That’s not fair on people who have committed to this country for many years, and this is people who may well have come to this country and become citizens.
‘And the simple principle is this: if you commit to this country, we’ll commit to you, and that’s how it should be.
‘That’s the Australia I grew up in, and it’s the Australia I want to see again.’
Taylor said the changes would save billions over the forward estimates but did not give figures.
The Greens condemned the plan. David Shoebridge, immigration spokesman, said ‘Angus Taylor clearly has Pauline Hanson living rent-free in his head’.
This article originally appeared on The ConversationÂ