In a community cabinet meeting held at Thornlie Senior High School last Wednesday night, Prime Minister Julia Gillard addressed single parents, people with disabilities and live export activists.
Ms Gillard, along with Federal Ministers, fronted more than 500 local residents, who attended the forum to raise federal, state and local issues.
Single parents rallied together to ask the Prime Minister what she was doing for women forced to send their children to live with relatives because they could no longer afford to feed them.
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READ NOWMs Henderson said she now receives $533 a fortnight following the Government’s changes to single parent’s allowance.
‘I attended the meeting because I wanted to get answers from Ms Gillard on what she is doing for us single parents who are doing it extremely tough,’ Ms Henderson said.
‘A group of us have written letters and sent emails to the Federal Ministers hoping to get some sort of reassuring response that the Government has a good enough reason from changes the single parent’s allowance,
‘I know of children who have said to their mums they won’t eat lunch because that way it would save money for the more important bills; it breaks my heart.’
Ms Gillard said it was important to make all allowances common across the nation.
‘We took the opportunity to change what we call taper rates, so that people actually get more of the income that they earn, and the fact that we have tripled the tax-free threshold and put it up to $18,200 means single mums can keep more of what they earn,’ Ms Gillard said.
Ms Gillard also spoke about the Jandakot Airport, school children’s bonus, broadband, live export and the death penalty.