The ACOSS Post-Budget Gender Analysis examines the impact of the Federal Budget on women’s economic security, finding that women on low incomes, including single parents and older women, are being left behind.

The ACOSS analysis shows that more than thirty times the amount of funding pledged in the Women’s Budget Statement is going into tax cuts, which do nothing to help women on low incomes.

Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said:

“In the lead up to the Federal Budget, women banded together to send a strong message that ‘Enough is Enough’.

“While the Government has heard these calls to some extent, with some welcome initiatives targeted at women, overall, the Budget does not meaningfully deliver on the need for structural and cultural change.

“Instead, the Federal Budget, like many budgets before, locks in gender inequality by failing to address that our tax, employment and superannuation systems are stacked in favour of men.

“At the same time, the Budget does nothing to specifically support single mothers on low incomes or older women struggling to find paid work and facing homelessness.

“The Family Home Guarantee low home loan deposit avenue will do nothing to help women on the lowest incomes secure affordable housing, including 450,000 older women at risk of homelessness.

“To help women on low incomes, we needed to see social security payments brought above the poverty line; employment services that deal with gender and age discrimination; and investment in affordable housing.

“In contrast, $30 billion a year is going out the door in income and business tax cuts, which as a package will entrench gender inequality and endanger future funding for services that women rely on,” Dr Goldie said.

Key issues highlighted include:
• Tax breaks reinforce gender income inequality
• The budget failed to deliver the income support increase needed urgently for women on low incomes
• The lack of affordable housing for women on low income women
• Labour market programs do not meet women’s needs of women
• More investment is needed in the care workforce and to improve pay and conditions for women
• Further action is needed in child care to meet the needs of single mothers and First Nations communities
• Super reform is needed to address women’s lower retirement incomes
• More funding is needed to support women’s safety, crisis and support services, and economic security.

Download ACOSS Post-Budget Gender Analysis – Spotlight on the Budget: Impact on women on low incomes

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People centred vision for the Australian Energy System

What is the New Energy Compact

The New Energy Compact, is an initiative of The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) and the Total Environment Centre (TEC) with the support of Energy Consumers Australia (ECA).

The New Energy Compact is a people centred vision for the Australian energy system. The purpose of the Compact is to instil a new vision and principles that reflects the values of people, is future focused and is used by decision makers to guide policy and reform for an inclusive, affordable, dependable and clean energy system.

Why do we need a New Energy Compact

The energy system is changing rapidly, from a centralised, one-way system, owned and managed by State governments. The social contract to supply energy was between governments and the Australian people.

Now ownership is mixed between government, private businesses and millions of individually owned infrastructure in people’s homes and businesses, in the form of more renewable, de-centralised, and variable energy with two-way flows. People are no longer just buying energy, but are also generating, storing and trading, as well as consuming their own energy.

In addition, tackling climate change is a priority for people and Australia’s commitments to Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The old social contract has become fractured. In this process, trust has been lost, energy is unaffordable for some, others are unable to benefit from the transformation taking place and we urgently need to decarbonise our energy system.

How you can inform the development of the New Energy Compact

The development of the New Energy Compact has been a collaborative process, informed by expert advice and insights from consumers and a range of stakeholders, as well as international and domestic research on what people expect from their energy system.

Domestic and international research

We are in the process of finalising the Draft New Energy Compact, and are aiming to launch by mid 2021 with its own website. The website will include a supporter section, where organisations can indicate their support for the New Energy Compacts vision and principles.

If you have any questions about the New Energy Compact or are interested in endorsing it please contact Kellie Caught, ACOSS, e: [email protected] or m: 0406 383 277.

The process to develop the New Energy Compact has been supported by Australian renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Australian Energy Markets Commission (AEMC) and the Australian Energy regulator (AER)

New Energy Compact PDF

New Energy Compact Word Document

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