$35 a Day is Not Enough. A call to increase the unemployment payment

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Linda Butler
5 years ago
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1 $35 a Day is Not Enough A call to increase the unemployment payment Prominent Australians support increase to Newstart in May Budget: $35 a Day is Not Enough We, the signatories below, support the call for the Australian Government to increase the single rate of Newstart and other allowances, and index these payments to wages, to address growing poverty in Australia. The Newstart base payment of $35 a day has not been increased in real terms since Prime Minister Keating s increase in The rate is now so low it is unbearable to live on, and has become a major barrier to supporting people into paid work. There is extensive evidence of the need for the increase: numerous reports from charities, parliamentary inquiries and others. The call for an increase has the support of the Business Council of Australia, the Organisation for Economic Development, the ACTU and the Government s own Henry Tax Review which recommended a $50 increase in A recent ACOSS report showed one in eight people or 2.2 million Australians are living in poverty, including one in six (575,000) children. The single most important action the government must take to address the worsening levels of poverty across our nation is to increase the single rate payments of Allowances and fix indexation arrangements in the coming Budget. Please help lift over one million people out of worsening poverty. The cost of about $1.8 billion is a vital investment to support people into paid work. We understand the current fiscal constraints, but we urge the Australian Government and the Commonwealth Parliament to listen to this overwhelming call and do the right thing by some of the most disadvantaged people in our country, to give them a chance to participate more fully in the life of our communities. To understand how this effects people s lives watch this video: Tony and Geraldine s account of life on just $35 a day We urge you to act.

barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author Jane Caro, Author and media commentator Eva Cox AO

2 Mick Gooda Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO Professor of Law, Australian Catholic University Julian Burnside AO QC Australian barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author Jane Caro, Author and media commentator Eva Cox AO Professorial Fellow, Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, UTS Dr David Morawetz Founder and Director, Social Justice Fund

Australian Council of Trade Unions Major

Salvation Army National Secretariat Matthew

3 Miriam Lyons Public policy advocate and social commentator Les Malezer Co-chair, National Congress of Australia's First Peoples Ged Kearney President. Australian Council of Trade Unions Major Kelvin Alley National Secretary, The Salvation Army National Secretariat Matthew Bowden Co-Chief Executive Officer, People with Disability Australia Incorporated

4 Genevieve Bolton Co-ordinator/Principal Solicitor, Welfare Rights and Legal Centre Alison Brook National Executive Officer, Relationships Australia Kasy Chambers Executive Director, Anglicare Australia Narelle Clay AM Chairperson, Homelessness Australia Tim Costello Chief Executive Officer, World Vision Australia

5 Carol Croce Executive Director, Community Housing Federation of Australia Andrew Cummings Executive Director, Australian Youth Affairs Coalition Dr John Falzon CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society Carolyn Frohmader Executive Director, Women with Disabilities Australia Angelo Gavrielatos, Federal President, Australian Education Union

6 Dr Cassandra Goldie CEO, Australian Council of Social Service Steve Hackett Executive Director, Family Relationships Services Australia Lesley Hall CEO, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations Toby Hall CEO, Mission Australia Lin Hatfield Dodds, National Director, UnitingCare Australia

Benevolent Society Rob Lake, Executive Director, Australian

7 Prof Karen Healy President, Australian Association of Social Workers John Heath CEO, SANE Australia Anne Hollonds CEO, Benevolent Society Rob Lake, Executive Director, Australian Federation of Aids Organisations Caroline Lambert, Executive Officer, YWCA Australia

8 Claerwen Little Director, UnitingCare Children, Young People and Families Cedric Manen Chair, Settlement Council of Australia Ron Mell Chief Executive Officer, YMCA AUSTRALIA Michael Moore CEO, Public Health Association of Australia Paul O Callaghan Executive Director, Catholic Social Services Australia

9 Maree O Halloran AM President, National Welfare Rights Network Adrian Pisarski Executive Officer, Queensland Shelter Inc. Chair, National Shelter Marc Purcell Executive Director, Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Frank Quinlan CEO, Mental Health Council of Australia Bishop Christopher Saunders Chairman, Australian Catholic Social Justice Council

10 Michael Smith National Convenor, National Association of Community Legal Centres Inc Louise Tarrant National Secretary, United Voice Lee Thomas President, Australian Nursing Federation David Thompson CEO, Jobs Australia

11 Rebecca Vassarotti Executive Director, YWCA Canberra Jo Watson Executive Director, National Association of People with HIV Australia

Statement on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Statement on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Hon Jenny Macklin MP Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Parliament House, Canberra