A final budget reminder: there is nothing "responsible" about continued poverty
This is Albanese’s last chance to fulfil his election promise that no-one will be left behind. If he breaks that promise, we will hold him, and his government to account in any way we can.
With the budget now finalised, and sent to the printers, the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union reminds Jim Chalmers, his government, and those covering the spectacle that there is nothing responsible about leaving people in poverty.
There is nothing responsible about continuing with a welfare system that is killing people.
There is nothing responsible about selling temporary solutions to a permanent problem.
And there is nothing responsible about playing a game of whispers about measures that will do nothing meaningful for those in poverty to gain a cheap headline.
On budget day, we will continue the fight, by teaming up with the National Union of Students in Canberra, for another rally to #RaiseTheRate for all.
AUWU members and supporters have applied an immense amount of pressure on the government in the lead up to this budget. In just the last week, 3000 people have used our new lobbying tool, which directs people to contact MPs who have not yet publicly advocated to Raise the Rate.
Jim Chalmers and his government looks poised to try to neutralise this campaign, as well as the protests within his own backbench, by offering a paltry raise — reportedly lower than what even the Morrison government offered us.
A few extra dollars a day won’t take the pressure off welfare recipients, and certainly won’t get us to take the pressure off Jim Chalmers’ government.
Temporary cost-of-living relief measures will not fix the permanent poverty crisis millions of Australians are facing every day. The cost of living has been out of reach for welfare recipients for decades and will continue to be out of reach long after the band-aid measures and media coverage have wilted.
Jim Chalmers’ government must raise welfare payments above the Henderson poverty line (currently $88 a day) — no announcement in this budget can change that fact. Fighting against the tide of poverty with temporary fixes and stop-gap services is no solution. One-off payments cannot fix poverty, a visit to the GP cannot fix poverty, a trip to the food bank or to a social service provider cannot fix poverty, and we cannot allow Jim Chalmers to pretend it can.
This budget was Anthony Albanese’s last chance to fulfil his election promise that no-one will be left behind. If he breaks that promise, we will hold him, and his government to account in any way we can.
Media contact: Catherine Caine