Australian greens, welfare groups query budget plan

SYDNEY (AAP) - The Australian Greens and the welfare sector have accused Prime Minister Julia Gillard of taking a heavy-handed approach to teenage mums.
From January next year, 10 of Australia's poorest communities will trial a system under which about 4000 young parents will have to attend Centrelink meetings six months after their baby is born to help them prepare for a return to school.
About 11,000 teenagers currently receive the parenting payment and don't have to look for work until their child turns six.
Under the trial, participants will have their parenting payments, worth up to $625 a fortnight, cut if they don't go back to school after a year at home.
"This is about engaging parents so they have a better life and their child has a better life," Ms Gillard said.
Treasurer Wayne Swan, who will deliver a raft of welfare reforms in his fourth budget on Tuesday, said there were, in parts of Australia, concentrations of long-term unemployed people relying on welfare, not just teenage parents.
And in a strong economy, it was vital to get more people off welfare and into training or work.
"It's not a question of punishment, it's a question of providing opportunity," he said.
However, Greens deputy leader Christine Milne said that while incentives were worthy, she did not like the "draconian way in which the government is going about it".
"So, we would say yes to incentives to get young people back into education and participation in the workforce, but it's a pretty brave government that says to a young person: `You must put your child in care at age one'," she said.
"I don't think that's an appropriate way to go."
Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service, said suspending payments would have "serious and damaging consequences" for young parents.
"An initiative designed to support young parents should not involve any risk of increasing levels of poverty or children being left without access to food, essential health care and shelter," she said.
But Dr Goldie supported the idea of individual help to get young parents into training and work.
Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said the $47 million package appeared to be tinkering at the edges of the welfare system.
"It's a pilot project. This is the way they operate - a lot of spin, not much substance," Mr Hockey said.
Mission Australia, a charity that works with disadvantaged people including young parents, said the trial would need to be closely monitored.
"Compulsory participation fails to promote personal responsibility and that's the crucial part of changing behaviour long term," CEO Toby Hall said.
"There's no question that the best results are achieved from programs like this when people participate voluntarily."
Meanwhile, the government has also revealed former prisoners of war will get an extra $500 a fortnight, from September, in recognition of their special service and sacrifice.
Twenty-one former POWs from World War II and the Korean War joined the prime minister at her official Sydney residence, Kirribilli House, for the announcement on Thursday.