DH pays extra $100 parking fine penalty thanks to CentreLink

In honour of NCOSS' important initiative below, DH has magnanimously decided to finally pay her parking fine, which now stands at $160.

 

You will recall that as she had no income for 12 weeks thanks to Centrelink incompetence and government indifference, she barely had money for food let alone money to pay her parking fine.

 

Oh alright so it wasnt magnanimity, but the arrival of a notice cancelling her licence that did it.

 

Time to commandeer her mum's old age pension again for this task. Poor old mum has not been able to get her teeth fixed this year thanks to DH's bludging off her... So does government money circulate..

 

 

 

 

FORUM TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACT

OF FINES ON POOR IN NSW

 

The Council of Social Service of NSW (NCOSS) has organised a forum for today on “Fines and Poverty” to coincide with National Anti-Poverty Week 2005.

 

“This forum will feature specialist workers who will talk about the fines issues affecting low income people across NSW,” said Director, Gary Moore.

 

“The forum will highlight the dramatic impact of fines for young people, people with intellectual disability, people living in rural and regional areas, and Aboriginal communities.”

 

“For some people fines can lead to a spiral of debt, affecting their ability to access transport, jobs, education and services.”

 

“The forum will look at a range of options for reform of the Fines system in NSW to get a better deal for low income fine recipients.”

 

“NCOSS believes that a viable reform option is for the Government to offer reduced fines for low income people.”

 

NCOSS believes that the NSW Government could implement a system in NSW that allows Centrelink beneficiaries to receive reductions in on-the-spot fine amounts, particularly for traffic infringements and CityRail fines."

 

“The key message of today’s forum is that it is simply unfair for a low income person to face a proportionately higher burden than anyone else when they are hit with a fine.”

 

“As well, the impacts of fines when combined with the above inflation level price increases in essentials like water, energy, rail and bus, child care and health expenses are seriously hurting low income households.”