Workforce Australia

SPEECH DELIVERED BY TOBY O’CONNOR: REVENUE SUMMIT 2022

 

I’d like to start by paying my respects to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, their elders past and present, and future leaders, on whose land we meet today.

In the lead up to the election just past, the St Vincent de Paul Society developed a set of advocacy materials, calling for a Fairer Australia, in other words a fair go for all.

It’s important in this debate that we don’t lose sight of the fact that Australians are generous people. We know this because

• The Society has been helping Australians for almost 170 years.
• We have around 45,000 members – ordinary Australians volunteering in their local communities, helping others in need every day
• And because we couldn’t do all this without the generosity of ordinary Australians

In a country as wealthy as ours, no one wants to see others going hungry or spending time each day trying to find somewhere safe to sleep.

• A recent ANU survey found that (42%) of respondents placed assisting people living in poverty in the top three priorities for the federal election, while reducing the budget deficit was a low priority.

So, why isn’t there a public outcry for more to be done?

The Society’s reality is that our members spend most of their time providing emergency relief and housing support.

What we’re seeing is:

• People presenting five or more times a year for help
• More people seeking help for the first time
• More people needing help with the basics, including food, rent, electricity and phone bills
• Requests for assistance increasing month on month
• A lack of accommodation and increasing housing stress – people are sleeping in their cars or living in temporary accommodation such as motels and caravan parks
• A growing number experiencing multiple crises such as COVID, flood and fire in addition to cost of living pressures

At this time in our national journey, the most urgent need is not about giving our wealthy households a tax break.