Liberals Blame "Opponents On The Left" For Pushing A "Welfare Mentality"

The federal government has defended their approach to tackling welfare after new research indicates roughly three million Australians are living below the poverty line.

Studies from the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) reveal that 731,000 children are living in poverty, a two per cent increase in the last decade.

ACOSS' Chief Executive Officer Cassandra Goldie says, "the overall picture from the last decade is one of persistent and entrenched poverty across the community with an increase in child poverty."

Adding, "it's a national shame that after 25 years of economic growth, we have not done better at changing this trajectory and ensuring our most precious national resource, our children, are given the best possible start in life."

The Liberal government has responded saying they're committed to finding ways that will encourage people to look after themselves, and that they're invested in getting people off welfare if they don't need to be on it.

Dr. Goldie insists the alarming results should indicate that further tough cuts to family payments would only make matters worse.

Speaking with Sky News, Social Services Minister Zed Seselja blamed Australia's "welfare mentality" on their opponents from the left. "We simply can't go on assuming huge numbers of Australians [on] welfare will just become the norm," he said.

According to Seselja, the solution is to use "investment-led" approaches, which would result in more training, mentorship and internship opportunities.

The Labor party has denounced the Coalition's welfare strategies.

Jenny Macklin, Labor's spokesperson for families and social services, said, "Turnbull wants to make cruel budget cuts that will hurt vulnerable Australians even more."

To put matters into perspective, Dr. Goldie says those doing it toughest were people living on the $38 a day Newstart payment.

The proposal to withhold Newstart support for young people for up to four weeks would likely lead to increased poverty, said Dr. Goldie.

She also insists that the issue lies within structural unemployment.

"We frame it as if it's the fault of the individual, you're either lazy, not working hard enough, not retraining hard enough, but the basic numbers are there," she said.

"One job available for every five people conservatively is the estimate looking for paid work."

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