Federal Labor member for Richmond Justine Elliot has lashed out at her state National Party equivalent, Geoff Provest, for what she described as ‘cruel cuts to local families’.
She has accused the NSW Liberal/National state government of slashing $213 a fortnight from the payments of foster carers who look after teenagers aged 16 and over at the same time the Commonwealth Labor government is boosting family payments by up to $4200 a year for 16- to 19-year-olds in school or training, including those in foster care.
Ms Elliot called on the NSW Liberal/National state government to reinstate the payments to foster carers of older teenagers.
‘This is a cruel attack on local foster carers and their already stretched budgets,’ she said.
Ms Elliot added that the federal government’s boost could benefit the families of up to 5500 teenagers in the electorate of Richmond alone.
