An "economic inclusion" committee that excludes the poor? This is beyond a joke
We have no hope that this “independent” Committee will give a tenth of a shit about making genuine change.
“Nobody can live on $40 a day without ending up in poverty.” - Julian Hill MP, 2020
“$40 a day isn’t enough to live on.” - Anthony Albanese MP, 2020
“I could live on Newstart.” - Jenny Macklin MP, 2013
When it came time to appoint a chair, the “independent” Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee had limitless choices. Treasurer Chalmers and Minister Rishworth could have made a statement by choosing a true expert, someone with lived experience of poverty. They could have chosen someone who has spent years fighting to improve economic inclusion.
Instead, they appointed Jenny Macklin, architect of some of the most destructive changes to support payments Labor has ever initiated.
Message received.
We should, clearly, give up hope that this “independent” Committee will give a tenth of a shit about making genuine change. We should expect the expect the number of justifications and excuses for choosing a comfy budget over Australian lives to continue and increase.
The rest of the Committee is precisely what we expected:
Sally McManus, ACTU
Jennifer Westacott, Business Council of Australia
Emily Carter, CEO of Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre
Cassandra Goldie, Australian Council of Social Services
Travers McLeod, Brotherhood of St Lawrence
ANU professors Peter Whiteford, Bob Breunig and Associate Professor Ben Phillips
With assistance of the secretaries of the Department of Social Services and Treasury, Ray Griggs and Dr Steven Kennedy.
Three different professors from ANU and zero members with lived experience of poverty?
Again, message received.
We should probably send Senator David Pocock a bunch of flowers; the poor sod genuinely thought he’d accomplished something with this Committee. He likely understands better now.
We certainly do.
This “independent” Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee is a farce: a hollow and distasteful piece of political theatre at the worst possible time of year. We held out a tiny sliver of hope that the Labor government would at least pretend to listen without an agenda and without stacking the deck as far as possible in their own favour.
That hope is dead, and from it rises renewed determination.
No Australian deserves misery, illness and death due to extreme poverty. Labor wasn’t wrong (when they were in opposition): no-one can live on Jobseeker.
“Because when Australians fall on hard times, we should help them get back on their feet.” - Anthony Albanese, 2020
We will work to accomplish that, even against those who agreed with us when it was expedient to do so, then instantly forgot once they had the power to make it happen.
This Committee is a joke headed by a tragedy but it is only an interim one; we will keep fighting to create an actually independent Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee.
And we will never, ever stop until no Australian is forced to skip meals or medications or face eviction due to being reliant on our “welfare” system.
Media contact:
Catherine Caine (0431 869 469)
