Let's build a fairer Australia! - Report card (January 2024 update)

Notes

1 2022 Australian Labor Party National Platform seeks to reduce the number of children living poverty (para 35). The Australian Government has committed to developing an Early Years Strategy but has not set targets to reduce child poverty.

2 The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Bill 2023 was passed by both Houses on 6 December 2023.

3 The Government announced a $40 per fortnight increase to the base rate of JobSeeker and a $92 increase for single people aged over 55 years who have been on the payment for 9 or more continuous months, to match that applying to those aged 60 and over. Eligibility for Parenting Payment (Single) has been expanded for single principal carers until their youngest child turns 14 years.

4 The Government has retained a biannual increase of income support payments in line with CPI only. There has been no change in policy. Income support payments should be indexed similarly to pensions, using either CPI or the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index and then benchmarked against a percentage of Male Total Average Weekly Earnings.

5 The Government has announced a one-off income credit to enable people receiving aged and veterans’ pensions and Disability Support Pension (DSP) to earn an additional $4,000 to December 2023 without losing any of their pension. The Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Supporting the Transition to Work) Bill 2023 received assent on 28 November 2023 making these temporary measures permanent, resulting in all new pensioners over Age Pension age receiving a one-off $4,000 credit to their Work Bonus income bank. The maximum income bank balance will also be permanently increased to $11,800. The Opposition has called for an increase to the JobSeeker threshold. The Government has opposed this on the basis that it would encourage longer-term reliance on the payment.

6 Treasury released an options paper on regulating Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) schemes in November 2022. In November 2023, Minister Jones said the government still intended to bring BNPL under credit laws and introduce proportionate responsible lending obligations but this is not planned until early 2024.

7 DSP impairment tables have been reviewed by the Department of Social Services (DSS).

8 The Australian Government has increased representation on the proposed National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, guaranteed an annual dispersal of at least $500M per year from 2024-25, agreed to index this annual funding amount against inflation from 2029-30 and will draft a special legislative instrument to enable the Treasurer and Finance Minister to increase the yearly disbursement, if needed. In June 2023, an additional $2BN of direct spending on social and affordable housing was also announced. As progression of the Housing and Future Fund Bill was delayed for over six months, likely resulting in delays in construction, the successful passage of the Bill is most welcome. In final negotiations, the Australian Government agreed to an additional $1BN in funding. Establishment of the Future Fund and the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, along with additional Government funding, means that work can begin on addressing the social and affordable housing crisis.

9 The Government has announced a 15 per cent increase to CRA but no review. The Society calls for a further 25 per cent increase in CRA funding.

10 The Government has not supported the National Low Income Energy Productivity Program. However, $300 million is available over forward estimates for energy performance upgrades for social housing (to be matched by states and territories). A Household Energy Upgrades Fund has been established, with $1 billion provided to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to partner with banks and financial institutions to invest in household energy upgrades. $36.7 million will support the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme and Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards program to make it easier for consumers to improve their energy performance of their households. The Government is partnering with the states and territories to offer up to $3 billion of direct energy bill relief to vulnerable households and small businesses. Further advocacy is required for private rentals (particularly rental standards), community housing providers and low-income households.

11 The Government announced a Housing Accord with incentives for superannuation funds and institutional investment in social and affordable housing. While a replacement for the National Rental Affordability Scheme has not been identified, other market incentives have been announced. These include increasing the Government guaranteed liability cap of the National Housing and Finance Investment Corporation by $2BN to $7.5BN (thereby increasing low cost loans to community housing providers); expanding the eligibility of the Home Guarantee Scheme and Regional First Home Buyer Scheme (now includes any two eligible borrowers), and for build to rent projects - increasing the capital works tax deduction (depreciation) from 2.5 per cent to 4 per cent per year and reducing the final withholding tax rate on eligible fund payments from managed investment trust (MIT) investments from 30 per cent to 15 per cent.

12 First Ministers agreed that Housing Ministers would develop a proposal for National Cabinet in the second half of 2023 outlining reforms to strengthen renters’ rights across the country (28 April 2023). In August 2023, National Cabinet agreed to A Better Deal for Renters to harmonise and strengthen renters’ rights across Australia. This includes a consistent approach to genuine reasonable grounds for eviction, moving towards limiting rent increases to once a year and phasing in minimum rental standards. It is essential that this work be expedited to provide more certainty for both renters and landlords and improve the living arrangements and wellbeing of over six million people in the private rental market. The Society has signed on to National Shelter Australia’s joint statement on priority areas for rental reform. These include better protections against no-cause evictions, stronger protections and fair limits on rent increases, basic energy efficiency standards and accessibility, better support for tenant self-advocacy, penalties for non-compliance and a landlord registration (or licensing) scheme, and access to free tenancy advice, assistance and advocacy.

13 The Productivity Commission review of the NHHA was completed and the final report released on 30 September 2022. No Government response has been issued. The Society prepared a submission on development of a National Housing and Homelessness Plan. In 2023-24, $1.9BN has been provided - $1.7BN for the NHHA and $187.5M for National Partnership payments including remote housing ($111.7M), housing and essential services in NT Homelands ($75M) and social impact investment for people at risk of homelessness ($0.8M)

14 The Referendum on The Voice occurred on 14 October 2023.

15 The Standing Council of Attorneys-General has formed an Age of Criminal Responsibility Working Group. Communiques are accessible here. The ACT has introduced legislative change with staggered implementation which will eventually lift the age to 14 years (2025). The NT has raised the age to 12 years. Victoria will raise the age to 12 by 2024 and to 14 by 2027. Tasmania has committed to raising the age of incarceration to 14 years while exploring how further reforms could be prioritised. Queensland also supports a national approach (but to 12 years) and seeks a framework to manage harmful behaviours. A communique issued on 1 December 2023 by the Standing Council of Attorneys-General indicated agreement to share future updates on progress made and to the release of the Working Group’s report. The Society supports the Justice Reform Initiative.

16 A Joint Council on Closing the Gap, Coalition of Peaks and Federal and State Ministers are working together on policy. The Closing the Gap data report (July 2023) shows that progress towards the 15 targets that can be assessed (out of 19) has been limited, with only four on track to be met. However, outcomes are improving for most targets and seven of the targets that are not on track are nevertheless improving. Most concerningly, outcomes are deteriorating in rates of adult imprisonment children in out- of- home care, suicide and children’s early development at the start of school. The 2023 Budget provided an additional $1.9BN over 5 years including $150.5M for education, $193.5M for economic participation, $561.5M for health, $410.4M for housing and infrastructure. This builds on top of the Oct 2022 Budget which provided $1.2BN towards Closing the Gap.

17 The Australian Government committed $81 million over four years for up to 30 communities to establish locally tailored justice reinvestment initiatives, but ongoing funding is needed. We call all governments to provide ongoing funding to support changes to child protection services and the provision of parenting programs, alcohol and drug rehabilitation and mental health support for families.

18 The Jobs and Skills Summit was held and the Secure Jobs and Better Pay Bill was passed by Parliament. The Government backed a wage increase for Australia’s lowest-paid workers (March 2023). The 2023 Budget included funding to cover the 15 per cent increase to award wages for aged care workers. The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 was passed on 7 December 2023. The Bill was split with the following provisions passed: better support for first responders, discrimination protections for workers subject to domestic violence, expanded asbestos regulation. Worker protections were also improved with respect to labour hire practices, wage theft, industrial manslaughter or when large businesses go insolvent. Remaining policy commitments identified in the Australian Labor Party National Platform and at the Summit are to be enacted in 2024.

19 The Select Committee’s Final Report on Workforce Australia Employment Services was released on 30 November 2023. In its media release of 1 December 2023, the Society supports the Committee’s recommendations including an end to automated suspension of payments; an overhaul of the employment services sector with the establishment of Employment Services Australia and an Employment Service Quality Commission; reforming the mutual obligation framework; a national wage subsidy and work experience scheme for the long-term unemployed; increased employment and training of Services Australia staff and increased funding and use of specialist providers, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse service partners. The Society supports the recommendation that participation requirements be maintained but that the mutual obligation system be reformed, with individual tailoring of plans (new Participation and Jobs Plan), and Work for the Dole only used as a last resort.

20 The Society calls for a timely Government response to the Select Committee’s final report, particularly recommendations aimed at assisting the long term unemployed including a national wage subsidy and work experience scheme for the long-term unemployed and possible reinstatement of the Sickness Allowance and identification of eligibility for a Disability Support Pension for people who are long term unemployed.

21 The major Resolution of Status Visa implementation is in progress with a nominated completion date of February 2024 but family reunion processes still need to be reformed. The reform issue is discussed in point 5.5, so we have declared this item green.

22 No additional funding was announced in the 2023 Budget for the Status Resolution Support Service and the Government has not yet taken any substantial action to improve the situation. The Government has also chosen not to scrap the fast-track process, with thousands of people seeking asylum still suffering under this process. However, the Government has announced an additional $89.5 million over 5 years from 2022- 23 to abolish the AAT and reform the Commonwealth administrative review system. $4M in 2023-24 has been committed to continue the operations of the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA), with its future to be considered pending the establishment of a new federal administrative review body, which may deliver fairer outcomes. But overall, the continued ignoring of the ALP National Platform the Government took to the election has shifted this assessment to red.

23 Although the ALP National Platform would suggest that the Society’s ask is within its scope, the Government has made clear that it now no longer considers the people remaining in PNG as its responsibility – a position which is inconsistent with the Platform. Therefore, the policy is listed as amber. In terms of implementation, the Government has moved all but two people from Nauru so implementation is assessed as amber as well.

24 This has changed to amber because although there have been no changes to policy, the current Minister has used his discretionary powers more often and more sympathetically to reduce the numbers in detention by 300 from 1,400 in May 2022 to 1,100 in May 2023.

25 The Government has made an initial increase for 2023-24 to 20,000 which was the Society’s short term ask and the ALP has renewed its commitment to the 27,000 figure in its 2023 National Platform but it has no apparent plan to reform family reunion. So, both policy and implementation are amber.