With the federal election campaign now underway, ACOSS is urging all parties and candidates to deliver real solutions to address the hardship people are facing, rising inequality and climate change, and to resist stoking fear and division.
The Coalition’s budget in reply contained no plan for supporting those on the lowest incomes or addressing the housing affordability crisis.
In response to the Federal Budget, ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said: “We always knew this was going to be an election budget. In the lead up, we have welcomed some important investments in essential services, including health, public education and early childhood education. We’re astounded that the centrepiece of tonight’s budget is more dollars for everyone except those with the least.”
ACOSS is demanding the urgent removal of the whole Targeted Compliance Framework due to shocking revelations of massive Government failure and potential illegality in the administration of income support payments affecting tens of thousands of people.
ACOSS calls on the Federal Government to boost income support payments in next Tuesday’s budget as JobSeeker today increases by 22 cents a day following routine indexation.
Pensions and allowance payments like JobSeeker will increase today due to routine indexation that occurs twice per year. This routine indexation delivers an increase of $1.55 per week, or just 22 cents per day for a single person receiving JobSeeker.