12th Nov 2018, 4:54 PM – Senate Motions - Anti-Poverty Week - Against punitive approach to social policy

The majority voted in favour of part of a motion introduced by Greens Senator Rachel Siewert (WA), which means it succeeded. Motions like these don't make any legal changes on their own but can be politically influential as they represent the will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Anti-Poverty Week was from 14 October to 20 October 2018,

(ii) in Australia, which is ranked as the second wealthiest county in the world, there are currently 3 million people in Australia living in poverty, including 739 000 children,

(iii) Australia has no poverty reduction plan, and despite economic growth, poverty levels have remained entrenched at a high level,

(iv) Newstart and Youth Allowance have not had an increase in real terms since 1994, and

(v) the poverty rate for sole parents rose from 35% in 2013 to 59% in 2015, and rates of poverty for sole parents remain high; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to abandon their punitive approach to social policy and the demonisation of those accessing the social safety net, and acknowledge that the current rate of Newstart is too low and is a barrier to people participating in the workforce.