Vanstone's welfare cheat witch hunt!

Catholic Welfare Australia is gravely concerned with what appears to be the great deal of effort Senator Vanstone has gone to in ensuring that media outlets have pixelated Betacam images and digital photographs of individuals rounded up in a raid near the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales yesterday.

Whilst Catholic Welfare Australia in no way condones any misuse of the welfare system it is concerned that the presentation of this story in the media will taint the image of welfare recipients in general.

“When we were presented with the “Children overboard” photos during the Tampa crisis the Australian public were led to believe that all people seeking refuge on our shores were capable of throwing their children overboard,” said the Spokesperson for Catholic Welfare Australia, Fr Joe Caddy. “Whilst not intending to question the legitimacy of the footage and photos being made available in this instance it does beg the question as to whether or not this current representation of welfare recipients as welfare cheats tars all welfare beneficiaries with the same brush.”

“The bleak reality is that the number of people in Australia requiring welfare benefits to maintain a basic standard of existence is on the increase, not the decrease,” Fr Caddy said. “This sort of publicity does nothing but undermine the human dignity of all welfare recipients.”

For further information please call: Jackie Brady, Communications Officer, 0417 220 779