Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has announced that a Coalition government would restrict access to welfare benefits exclusively to Australian citizens. The controversial policy will feature in his Thursday night budget reply, widely seen as an appeal to voters currently supporting One Nation. The plan would affect permanent residents and other non-citizens, sparking significant debate.
Affected Payments
The 17 welfare payments and benefits targeted include family tax benefit, carer payment, Austudy, and farm household allowance. Under the proposed changes, only Australian citizens would be eligible for these supports. Currently, newly-arrived residents may access these benefits with waiting periods ranging from none to four years.
Exemptions and Existing Agreements
Eligibility for the age pension and disability support pension would still require a ten-year residency requirement, but would be limited to citizens. Specific exemptions would cover defence, intelligence, and law enforcement arrangements. The Coalition also pledges to honour existing international social security agreements.
Benefits and Waiting Times
- Age Pension: 10 years
- Disability Support Pension: 10 years
- JobSeeker: 4 years
- Youth Allowance: 4 years
- Carer Payment: 2 years
- Parenting Payment: 4 years
- Family Tax Benefit Part A: 1 year
- Family Tax Benefit Part B: No wait
- Austudy: 4 years
- Farm Household Allowance: 4 years
- Special Benefit: 4 years
- Mobility Allowance: 4 years
- Pensioner Education Supplement: 4 years
- Carer Allowance: 1 year
- Parental Leave Pay: 2 years
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card: 4 years
- Low Income Health Care Card: 4 years
- Access to the NDIS: No wait (existing arrangements for eligible New Zealand Special Category visa holders kept)
Taylor's Justification
Speaking at a Thursday news conference, Taylor said his budget reply would focus on 'putting Australians first'. He clarified that 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.'
He added, '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 claimed the changes would save billions over the forward estimates but did not provide specific figures.
Reactions
The Greens condemned the plan. Immigration spokesman David Shoebridge said, 'Angus Taylor clearly has Pauline Hanson living rent-free in his head.'
This article originally appeared on The Conversation.
