MINISTER, HELP OUR VULNERABLE FAMILIES

HAVING a baby is supposed to be one of the best times of your life – a moment of joy and elation in a new life. But this blessing has been a nightmare for Gold Coast mothers who have been forced to wait months to receive paid parental leave.

One mother, Shannon, told the Bulletin she was yet to receive a single payment seven weeks after giving birth despite contacting her employer and Centrelink nearly a dozen times.

She’s not alone either, with other new mums reporting the same issues.

Centrelink isn’t known for being easy to deal with at the best of times, let alone in those stressful early weeks of parenthood.

Navigating the nightmare of bureaucratic involvement in getting government support is the last thing anyone needs to deal with.

No doubt the difficulties of these byzantine systems is inherent in discouraging people to ask for support.

This might go down well at local Young Liberals meetings but it makes life difficult for those who need all the help they can get and only adds to distrust of the system.

The Minister in charge of Centrelink is actually based on the Gold Coast – Fadden’s Stuart Robert.

Minister, this is not good enough and it must be dealt with rapidly.

To leave young families so grossly out of pocket at a vulnerable time in their lives, particularly during this most trying of festive seasons, is unconscionable.

Government is supposed to be the safety net which catches you.

Now is the time to get the net ready.