The Changes to Welfare seem Penal

The way to get people back into work is not by penalising them but encouraging them! Let them work as much as they can up to the average wage. At the moment the minimum wage is still too low for people to survive comfortably. The gap between rich and poor is still too great. A Decent Society would not allow such discrepancy! We judge those that are weaker than ourselves without giving them a fair go. Give them work, a decent wage and Dignity!

Exerpts

"Work".

The first mistake it to not give these people work. Often people that suffer from Mental Illness are highly intelligent and capable human beings. We give opportunity to work to people with Down Syndrome. If we gave people with Mental Illness the dignity of work I believe that these people's need for Mental Health Services would be drastically reduced.

I also believe that we would be delighted by the productivity that allowing them this dignity would provide.

In the interim we should not cut money to so call "Hobbies" because these "Hobbies" help to keep people sane. Taking away this pleasure is not a caring attitude to ones community. I heard $20 million was cut from the Budget and I think it very sad and that opportunity for Community Mental Health is at threat of loss from the funding cut.