Labor berates Hockey over dole wait bill

A Labor MP has criticised the Abbott government's plan to withhold welfare from young people with a personal attack on the federal treasurer.

A Centrelink sign

(AAP) Source: AAP

Labor has resorted to personal attacks on the federal treasurer in criticising the government's plan to withhold welfare from young people.

Budget measures making those under 25 wait a month for the dole and lowering payments for 22 to 25 year-olds passed parliament's lower house on Wednesday.

The opposition furiously decried the "disgraceful" plan, with one of its backbenchers touching on Joe Hockey's advice to youth to get "a good job" if they wanted to buy a home.

Laurie Ferguson said some young people weren't as advantaged as Mr Hockey in having a family real estate agency.

"Not everyone in this country can just walk into a company and get a job through the family," Mr Ferguson said, adding the plan failed to take into account families in crisis and entrenched social disadvantage.

The treasurer received more in travel allowances staying at his wife's Canberra residence than some welfare recipients got a week, Mr Ferguson said.

Liberal MP Andrew Laming defended Mr Hockey, arguing the substance of his get-a-good-job comment was self evident.

"If a treasurer says it, it's offensive," the Queensland MP said.

"If a poor man says it, it's just as true."

Dr Laming justified the waiting period by arguing people had to wait to see their GPs and in hospitals too.

Most young people lived at home anyway, and it was wrong to discourage them by saying there were no jobs, he added.

The waiting period measure will save just $274 million but Social Services Minister Scott Morrison said it wasn't about the money, but creating a fairer system.

"We don't believe in running a shuttle bus from the school yard to the front door of Centrelink," he said.


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Source: AAP


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