11 March 2022 The Federal Government’s planned $2 billion health funding boost to fight a looming winter omicron infection wave and the first serious flu season in three years must focus on disability, aged and Indigenous communities. “Over the past two years, we have seen marginalised communities left behind or ignored by the Federal Government as it...
10 March 2022 Just under 3 million Australians, including nearly 750,000 children, are living in poverty according to a major new report from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre. According to the report, released this week, nearly 11.8 per cent of the population are living on less than half of Australia’s median income. Ms Monique Earsman, Executive Director, Catholic...
7 March 2022 A major survey of nearly 2,500 disability support workers has found almost one third (31%) of respondents want to leave the sector within the next 12 months. The survey, by unions representing sector workers - ASU, HSU, UWU and AWU - found nearly a third (31%) wanted to leave their jobs because of negative...
25 February 2022 As tensions increase in Ukraine, Australians are bracing themselves for record petrol prices that will impact low-income earners and welfare recipients the hardest, according to the Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, Francis Sullivan. Local petrol prices are already at record highs, reaching a national average of $1.791 cents per litre in the week...
16 February 2022 The company behind Australia’s offshore processing regime on Nauru made a staggering $101 million profit last financial year – more than $500,000 for each of the fewer than 200 people held on the island at the time, according to its most recent accounts filed with the corporate regulator. Francis Sullivan, Chair of Catholic Social...
14 February 2022 As Australia faces the reality of Omicron ripping through our communities with devastating consequences for both public health and the economy, we need the Federal Government to provide free and accessible rapid antigen tests (RATs) for the entire community. Rapid Antigen Tests are an essential tool in managing this pandemic and stopping the spread...
7 February 2022 One of Australia’s peak social services groups, Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA), has supported calls for rooftop solar panels to be installed on Australia’s public housing stock. A joint report by the University of NSW and the Australian Photovoltaic Institute says adding solar panels to the nation’s 440,000 social housing dwellings could save low-income...
14 January 2022 Francis Sullivan, Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, said today, economic pressures being faced by low income and disadvantaged Australians are at an all-time high and are being force-fed by the relentless increase in housing costs. The Domain Rent Report for the December quarter released this week shows tenants are paying $50 a week...
5 January 2022 Australia’s peak Catholic social services organisation is calling on Australia’s political leaders at today’s National Cabinet meeting to make Rapid antigen tests (RATs) free for low-income earners and social security recipients. Francis Sullivan, Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, said today that the Federal Government must make the RATs available to the very people...
9 December 2021 As low-income families around Australia look towards Christmas and the cost of presents and celebrations, the temptation to ‘buy now and pay later’ (BNPL) starts to become an attractive option. But, according to Francis Sullivan, Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, using BNPL companies include Afterpay, Zip Pay, Latitude and Sezzle, could lead to...
