Australian Muslim families with more than one wife are receiving spousal benefits from Centrelink, it has been claimed.
Polygamous marriages, largely confined to Islamic families, are allowed to claim multiple family tax benefit payments for children living under the same roof, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
The welfare company has confirmed the agency does 'not hold data based on polygamous relationships or religion'.
Former chief of staff Peta Credlin has revealed how Tony Abbott had fought to ensure such households were not rewarded before he lost his prime ministership.
'The answer I got back was to fix it could cost more. To be honest there was frustration about how difficult overall rorting in this area was to remedy,' she told the publication.
'It's not the role of government to police people's bedrooms unless they are breaking the law but nor can it, through policy or indifference, sanction polygamous marriages.' [Daily Mail] Read more
