Meet the 'unemployment activist' who blames a Centrelink staffer for being stabbed at work by an enraged dole recipient: 'She had all the power'

Centrelink worker Joeanne Cassar was stabbed multiple times at workUnemployment activist Phoebe Autumn has tweeted about the attackSaid Cassar 'had all the power' until a knife 'was brought into the equation'

An employment activist has described a Centrelink worker who was allegedly stabbed in the back by an enraged client as being the person in ‘power’.

Phoebe Autumn, a disabled trans activist against Centrelink and an Australian Unemployed Workers Union (AUWU) supporter, has tweeted about the almost fatal stabbing of 55-year-old Joeanne Cassar in a Melbourne job centre.

Elijah Chase, 34, allegedly stabbed Ms Cassar  after he was told to leave Centrelink’s Melbourne Airport West Westfield branch on Tuesday around 1.30pm.

Ms Cassar was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries and Mr Chase was charged with intentionally cause serious injury, recklessly cause serious injury, reckless conduct endangering life, common law assault and use and possession of controlled weapon.

The stabbing has since prompted a safety review of Centrelink offices across the country.

Phoebe Autumn, of Perth who describes herself as a ‘survivor of abuse, bi, anarchist’ posted on Twitter after Ms Cassar’s hospitalisation: ‘This is Anthony Albanese’s preferred welfare system. He’s had a whole year to change it.’

Unemployment activist Phoebe Autumn (above) appeared to blame the alleged victim of the Melbourne Centrelink stabbing, tweeting that Joeanne Cassar ‘had all the power … until a weapon was brought in to the equation’

Phoebe Autumn’s tweet blamed the Centrelink officer, who was stabbed multiple times allegedly by an enraged welfare recipient who had been banned for violence to staff

Police leave Melbourne’s Airport West Westfield after Centrelink worker Joeanne Cassar was stabbed multiple times in her torso in an attack which narrowly missed her spine and kidneys

‘The Centrelink officer had all the power in that situation until a weapon was brought into the equation.’

In contrast, Ms Autumn’s fellow AUWU member Jeremy Poxon tweeted about the stabbing: ‘A few things on this: 1) it’s awful.  hope the worker is ok.

‘2) Services Aus isn’t doing its job to keep ppl safe. The attacker had been banned from the site, but was allowed to enter 3) Given how awful conditions are, incidents like this will continue.’

Ms Autumn, whose Linkedin profile says ‘I’m an unemployed queer activist looking for accommodating and fulfilling work that utilises my unique skillset’, regularly tweets about unemployment and Centrelink.

She wrote a paper sourced by the AUWU about people ‘in the welfare system … being neglected’, and tweeted about it a day after her Twitter post about Ms Cassar.

Unemployment and trans activist Phoebe Autumn (left) said in her Tweet that Centrelink worker Joeanne Cassar (right) ‘had all the power’ before the knife she was allegedly repeatedly stabbed with ‘was brought into the equation’

In contrast, fellow unemployed union member Jeremy Poxon tweeted ‘it’s awful. I hope the worker is ok’

‘As a disabled, unemployed trans woman, I am heavily discouraged to go back, especially because I can’t afford help’, Ms Autumn posted on Wednesday under @desvenlafaxines on Twitter.

On Friday, Radio 2GB questioned Ms Autumn’s post and also the apparent large winnings of the unemployed union’s National Secretary, Daniel Levy.

Both Ms Autumn and Mr Levy are allies of Jez Heywood, the AUWU president recently making headlines with his plea to ‘#RaisetheRate’ of Jobseeker welfare payment increases.

Daniel Levy, whose Twitter handle @DJLevy4821 says he is ‘recovering from lifelong undiagnosed and untreated ADHD’ is a successful poker player, historically at least according to several card game sites.

The site cardplayer.com records his poker earnings at $120,740 between 2013 and 2016, while poker-in.com records his winnings in the same time frame at $US180,857.

Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union national secretary Daniel Levy (above) was a poker playing whiz in the mid-2010s, earning $US180,000 in winnings according to poker sites

Mr Levy currently tweets about housing, unemployment and poverty.

Ms Cassar, who is still recovering from the wounds she sustained when a knife narrowly missed her spine and kidney, may not return to Centrelink, or to work at all, her husband Andrew Giusti has said.

Police will allege her accused attacker was banned from the branch because of previous violent behaviour towards staff, and that a Centrelink senior manager overruled team leader Ms Cassar’s decision to close the front doors.

Her family are seeking worker’s compensation and considering further legal action against Services Australia, the Federal Government department which runs Centrelink, claiming the alleged incident should have never happened.