Business Council Callous Towards Disabled Pensioners

The Business Council of Australia suggests that we consider cutting payments to disabled pensioners. The Business Council suggests that cutting disability pensions might encourage some disabled pensioners to enter the workforce.

But the same Business Council submission would, if taken seriously, make it harder for disabled pensioners to enter the workforce, by bringing in more migrant workers from overseas.

The Business Council wants us to fast track temporary migration through 457 visas, and slash 457 visa processing times. It also says we should target annual net overseas migration of 180,000. Not only would this rapidly increase Australia’s population to 36 million, it makes it much harder for disabled pensioners to get a job.

Instead of suggesting measures to punish some of Australia’s poorest people, the Business Council should give people on disability pensions a real chance of finding a job by abandoning its incessant calls for more migrant workers.

Countries with stable populations outperform countries with growing populations, precisely because they don’t leave the poor and disabled behind.