Australian political term
Working family was a term used byKevin Rudd, formerPrime Minister of Australia, andmembers of his leadership team, during the lead-up to the2007 Australian federal election.
The term is similar to theglittering generality "Hardworking families" used heavily by the political parties in the campaign of the2005 United Kingdom general election[1] and more generally in thepolitics of the United Kingdom[2] andof the United States.[3]
Australian federal election, 2007
[edit]The term was used 16 times[4][5] by Rudd during the leaders debate on 21 October 2007. Despite calls[5] for a definition during the election campaign, the term remained undefined. The ambiguous nature of the term allowed evasion of definitive policies throughout the campaign.[5]
In the lead up to thefederal budget of May 2008 the term continued to cause confusion and the scope was expanded by the Treasurer and the Prime Minister to include, among others, "a single person who is a pensioner or a self-funded retiree, or someone who is being provided care by a carer". In fact neither the prime minister or the treasurer was prepared to exclude anyone from the definition.[6]
On 1 May 2008, theTreasurer of Australia,Wayne Swan (Australian Labor Party), described 'working family' on theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation radio program,Radio National Breakfast, as follows:
- "When you're talking about "working families", who exactly are you talking about?" (Interviewer:Steve Cannane[7])
- "I'm talking about those people on modest incomes. If you're talking about Sydney, you're talking about a principal income earner who might be earning $50–60 thousand a year, and a secondary income earner, who will be working part-time, and could pull in anywhere between 20 or 30 thousand dollars per year. These are people who work very hard, they are hit by rising inflation, which is why tackling inflation in this Budget is so important, they are hit by the risingcost of living, and until recent times they have been hit by a rising proportion of taxation...."[8]
This definition was reinforced by Rudd later the same day, saying, "If you’re a working family on $50,000 a year, it means, or a worker on $50,000 a year...."[9]
2008 Federal Budget
[edit]In theFederal Budget'ssecond reading speech, presented to theParliament of Australia on 13 May 2008, the term "Working family/ies" was used thirteen times.[10]
Commentary[11] after the budget reflected on the various levels of household income at which the budget's measures cut out (or in):
- A$100,000
- Medicare levy (single person) – above which people must pay for private health coverage
- Solar power rebate (household income) – above which the rebate is not available
- Baby Bonus threshold – above which the Bonus is not paid
- A$150,000
- ^"A Conservative government will give hope tohardworking families – decent people who respect others, who take responsibility for their children and who contribute to their local communities." —Michael Howard speaking inTelford on 2005-04-10 ("It's time to set an annual limit to immigration"Archived 2007-05-03 at theWayback Machine) and "Then, it was mortgage rates at 15 per cent for a whole year with 1.5 million households sufferingnegative equity and over 250,000 families losing their homes—now,hardworking families are enjoying the lowest mortgage rates for 40 years. Then, it was 400,000 more on hospital waiting lists—now, it is almost 300,000 off. Then, it was crime doubled—now, it’s crime down by over a quarter." —Alan Milburn inAgenda: magazine of the Association of Labour Councillors, winter 2004/5 ("Britain is Working"Archived 2006-02-10 at theWayback Machine)
- ^"Turning to tax allowances, the married couples' allowance has been abolished, which is a strange move for a government who profess to support the family. They have abolished the MIRAS tax relief which has hit home-buyers. The change to the allowances for couples with children—the new children's tax credit—which is tapered away for higher rate taxpayers, will affecthardworking families on middle incomes." —Lord Northbrook recorded inHansard, 1999-07-23 (column 1229)
- ^"WASHINGTON VERSUSHARD-WORKING AMERICAN FAMILIES" —Frank Luntz Republican Playbook at PoliticalStrategy. ORG ("The Budget: Ending Wasteful Washington Spending"Archived 2005-04-04 at theWayback Machine)
- ^The working family election,Australian Broadcasting CorporationRadio National "Life Matters", 22 October 2007, accessed 2 May 2008
- ^abcWho belongs in the "working family"?Archived 2008-07-24 at theWayback Machine, Stephanie Chalkley-Rhoden, www.electiontracker.net.au, 5 December 2007, accessed 2 May 2008
- ^"In Wayne's world, we are all one working family now". The Australian. 5 May 2008. Archived fromthe original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved2008-05-12.
- ^Presenter, ABC RN Breakfast, accessed 1 May 2008
- ^MP3 of interview, accessed 1 May 2008[dead link]
- ^InterviewArchived 2008-07-19 at theWayback Machine,Mike Carlton andSandy Aloisi, Radio2UE, 1 May 2008, accessed 2 May 2008
- ^Budget Second Reading Speech,Treasurer of Australia, 13 May 2008, accessed 14 May 2008
- ^Too bad if you’re not in a ‘working family’[permanent dead link],Michael Moore, former Minister for Health and Community Care,Australian Capital TerritoryLegislative Assembly,City News, 22 May 2008, accessed 2 June 2008
