More than 300 participants of the 2014 ACOSS National Conference have today passed a resolution calling on the federal parliament of Australia to reject divisive and unfair budget proposals that severely impact on the most vulnerable people in our community.

The resolution reads:

Participants of the 2014 ACOSS National Conference call on the Australian Parliament to ensure that Australia moves to become a fair and inclusive society, in which all people can participate economically, and be included in the community.

We call on the Australian Government to work with us in designing policy that is sustainable, inclusive and fair.

The Government and the Parliament should abandon the following divisive and unfair proposed budget measures that severely impact on the most vulnerable people in our community:

• Removal of the income support safety net for many young job seekers;
• Measures that erode the value of income support for people at risk of poverty;
• Reductions in family tax benefits for low and moderate income earners; Increases in user charges for essential health services, including GP payments, medicines and tests;
• Withdrawal of federal funding to essential social services;
• Silencing of advocacy organisations working to ensure that the voices of disadvantaged and marginalised groups are heard.